KABUL, Afghanistan — As Afghans mark the start of the new solar year and the ancient celebration of Nowruz, the World Food Program has issued a stark warning, saying that one in three people in Afghanistan is facing acute food insecurity, and the country’s humanitarian crisis shows no signs of easing.
“Despite our efforts to deliver life-saving assistance, the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan continues,” the agency said in a statement released this week. “We need greater international support to reach more families with the food they urgently need.”
The warning comes as families across Afghanistan observe Nowruz, a traditional holiday that celebrates renewal and the arrival of spring. In many homes, customary rituals such as preparing samanak, a sweet wheat dish, and setting symbolic tables mark the beginning of the year 1404 in the Afghan calendar. But for millions, the festive meal has become a painful symbol of scarcity.
The World Food Program has launched a new global campaign appealing for donations to help provide emergency food aid to Afghan families struggling with widespread hunger and economic hardship.
The agency’s latest figures underscore the scale of the crisis: one-third of Afghanistan’s population — more than 13 million people — are currently in need of urgent food assistance. Aid agencies say the situation has been exacerbated by persistent drought, economic collapse, and restrictions on women that have hindered aid delivery.
“Nowruz is a time of hope and renewal in Afghan culture,” the WFP said. “But for too many this year, it arrives under the shadow of hunger, insecurity, and uncertainty.”
The organization has renewed its call to the international community to scale up support and prevent the further deterioration of what it describes as one of the world’s most pressing humanitarian emergencies.
