Despite restrictions on women, a bakery blossoms in hungry Afghanistan
Story | 15 November 2024
Emergency
Afghanistan
- 12.4 million
- people have acute food insecurity
- 1 in 4
- Afghans do not know where their next meal will come from
- US$787 million
- urgently needed for WFP operations up to April 2025
A severe funding crisis puts at risk gains made through record levels of food assistance provided in the wake of the Taliban’s takeover in 2021 and the economic crisis that followed.
WFP can only support 1 million hungry people, leaving a gap of 11 million in need who do not receive emergency food assistance due to lack of funding. Additionally, 1.4 million mothers and children are no longer receiving specialized nutritious food to prevent malnutrition, while malnutrition rates remain critically high.
The climate crisis is exacerbating challenges for communities across the country, with erratic weather conditions now becoming the norm. Heavy rain in spring 2024 has led to flash floods across the country, washing away entire villages and destroying the livelihoods of some of the already most-vulnerable communities. This follows years of successive, drought-like conditions.
What the World Food Programme is doing to respond to the Afghanistan emergency
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Food and nutrition assistance
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WFP provides unconditional, fortified and nutritionally-balanced food assistance to people in need in the country. Our targeted supplementary feeding programme supports pregnant and breastfeeding women, and over 1 million children under 5, suffering from or at risk of malnutrition.
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Climate resilience
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WFP is investing in climate-adaptation projects designed and built by communities to shield them from the worst effects of the climate crisis. These include protective walls, dams and irrigation canals.
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Common services
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The WFP-managed United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) is providing a regional air bridge linking Pakistan and Tajikistan to Kabul, and domestic services across the country to transport humanitarian responders to the frontlines of the crisis.
How you can help
The international community needs to step up to avert a humanitarian catastrophe. WFP needs urgent funding to provide life-saving food, nutrition and livelihood support.
Donate now