Afghanistan Hunger Crisis: ‘I Can No Longer Feed My Children’
Part of composite article Hunger Crisis Explodes Across Three Continents as UN Runs Out of Cash — 17 Million in Afghanistan Alone View full article →
A man in western Afghanistan told a reporter that his neighbors knock on his door to ask for food. In Kabul, another man said, “I can no longer feed my children properly,” describing how rising food costs are hurting his family.
These stories are becoming common across Afghanistan. Millions face a growing hunger crisis.
The United Nations projects that over 17 million of Afghanistan’s 44 million people will face acute food insecurity this year. The crisis hits women and children hardest. Yet as of June, the UN’s Humanitarian Response Plan had received less than 20 percent of its required budget.
Sharp cuts in foreign aid from the United States, which once funded up to 40 percent of Afghanistan’s humanitarian aid, along with reductions from the United Kingdom and other donors, have made a bad situation worse. Humanitarian groups have had to reduce programs, scale back services, and triage aid to those most in need.
Before October 2025, only 28 percent of Afghan households got enough food without assistance. By April 2026, that number had fallen to 20 percent. About 22 million people need urgent food and health care. Many of the five million Afghans forcibly returned by Iran and Pakistan over the past two years went to areas already hit by drought and limited jobs, adding strain to overstretched communities.
The Taliban’s repressive policies worsen the crisis. They impose severe restrictions on women working for international aid groups and the UN. Since only women can deliver aid to women, households led by women are especially hard hit by hunger.
Aid agencies warn that without urgent funding, millions will lose lifesaving support. Donor governments should act quickly to fund humanitarian operations in Afghanistan. They should also ensure that returns are voluntary, safe, and dignified, with sustained support for returnees. Taliban authorities should reverse all bans on women’s rights, including restrictions on movement and employment, which block access to aid and food.