KABUL, Afghanistan — The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has warned that Afghanistan’s hunger and malnutrition crisis, already severe in last year, is growing more dire this year as humanitarian needs rise and aid funding shrinks.
In a report, the IFRC said malnutrition rates between May and September 2024 surged to “unprecedented and alarming levels,” prompting urgent calls for coordinated humanitarian intervention. The deteriorating situation, the report noted, was confirmed by last October’s Global Hunger Index, which highlighted the accelerating severity of hunger across the country.
According to the IFRC, the crisis is hitting pregnant and breastfeeding women and young children especially hard, with acute malnutrition sharply increasing across much of Afghanistan. The organization cited multiple compounding factors — including prolonged drought, climate-related disasters, displacement, soaring living costs, widespread unemployment, and deepening food insecurity — as drivers of the emergency.
While the malnutrition crisis affects the entire country, Kandahar and Paktika provinces are among the hardest hit, the report stated.
The worsening humanitarian conditions have been exacerbated, aid officials say, by the Taliban’s sweeping restrictions on women’s participation in relief work, which has obstructed efforts to reach vulnerable populations.
Earlier this year, the World Food Programme reported that 3.5 million Afghans were suffering from malnutrition — the highest number on record.
Humanitarian agencies continue to raise alarm over funding shortfalls, warning that without urgent international support, millions may face life-threatening hunger and disease.
