WFP seeks $539m to support vulnerable Afghans

KABUL (Pajhwok): The World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that drought, reduced humanitarian aid and the forced return of Afghan refugees have exacerbated malnutrition in Afghanistan.

The organisation estimates that more than 15 million people could require assistance by winter.

WFP Country Director John Aylieff said drought, dramatic aid cuts and the forced return of 1.5 million Afghans from Iran and Pakistan had combined to create “rising acute malnutrition” in the poverty-stricken country.

“We need to do everything we can to prevent famine,” he told RFE/RL. “It could be unprecedented, as during the winter 10 to 15 million people may need food assistance. At present, we have no funding and there will be no response.”

For the next six months, the WFP in Afghanistan said it requires nearly $539 million for all programmes to reach the most vulnerable families across the country.

However, multiple donors have slashed contributions. For 2025, the WFP in Afghanistan received around $155 million, compared with nearly $560 million the previous year and almost $1.6 billion in 2022.

“The US has been a phenomenally generous donor in Afghanistan for decades, providing the lion’s share of humanitarian assistance, alongside other generous donors from around the world,” Aylieff said.

“Now is not the moment for anyone to reduce support or walk away.”

Aylieff added that the WFP is currently able to provide food to around 1 million people, compared with 5 million a year ago. He warned that it will soon run out of funds, meaning food assistance will stop “almost completely” by October.

kk/sa