WFP Warns of Deepening Hunger Crisis in Afghanistan
The World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that food insecurity and malnutrition are escalating at an alarming rate in Afghanistan, placing millions of women and children at serious risk. In its latest report, the agency cautioned that as winter intensifies, the number of women and children suffering from food shortages is likely to reach its highest level in recent years.
According to the WFP’s Deputy Executive Director, continued neglect and insufficient resources could result in the deaths of children due to hunger and severe malnutrition. The official added that harsh winter conditions, compounded by poverty, unemployment, and a lack of humanitarian aid, could make life extremely difficult for Afghan families.
United Nations figures show that more than 3.5 million children under the age of five in Afghanistan suffer from acute malnutrition, and at least 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women face severe food shortages. Aid organizations say that ongoing restrictions on humanitarian agencies imposed by the Taliban administration and the lack of effective policies to protect vulnerable groups have further complicated efforts to avert a humanitarian catastrophe.
Experts stress that to prevent the crisis from worsening, humanitarian aid must be allowed to reach all regions, especially remote areas. They call on the Taliban authorities to permit aid organizations to operate without interference. Otherwise, the upcoming winter could be one of the harshest for millions of Afghans.
