The World Food Program has warned that recent cuts to US emergency food aid could deepen Afghanistan’s already severe hunger crisis, leaving millions of vulnerable people without sufficient support.
The WFP said it is currently able to assist only half of those in need — and even then, only with half rations — due to limited funding.
The reduction in aid follows a decision by Trump’s administration to freeze all foreign assistance for three months as part of a broader effort to curb government spending. Earlier this month, the US announced it would end its emergency food assistance to the WFP.
The WFP described the move as potentially catastrophic. “This is a death sentence for millions of people if implemented,” the organization said in a statement Sunday.
Mutinta Chimuka, the WFP’s acting country director in Afghanistan, urged international donors to maintain support for what is currently the world’s second-largest humanitarian crisis.
“With our current resources, we can reach only about eight million people this year,” Chimuka said, noting that estimate assumes the agency receives all remaining pledges from other donors. To stretch what little is available, the WFP has been distributing only half rations.
The agency said it hopes to provide emergency food assistance to two million people in the coming months but acknowledged that doing so will depend heavily on whether new funding is secured.
