The European Union has committed €25 million to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) to support food security, nutrition and community resilience across Afghanistan, the EU mission said on Thursday.
The funding will be channelled through WFP and aims to strengthen local food systems, improve nutrition and help vulnerable communities better withstand climate-related shocks, including floods and droughts.
“The European Union’s new contribution to WFP demonstrates our continued commitment to the Afghan people, notably women, children, and vulnerable local communities,” said Veronika Boskovic-Pohar, the EU’s chargé d’affaires to Afghanistan.
She said the support would focus on agriculture and food value chains to bolster nutrition, health and economic resilience, while also helping rural communities protect livelihoods from the long-term impacts of climate change.
The EU said part of the funding would be used to upgrade community infrastructure such as flood protection walls and irrigation systems to reduce risks from extreme weather and safeguard productive assets essential for local economies.
The contribution will also support WFP’s school meals programmes, using local procurement to stimulate markets and create livelihood opportunities for women’s associations and youth entrepreneurs. Local suppliers will provide fresh, fortified snacks to schoolchildren, the EU said.
WFP’s Afghanistan representative and country director, John Aylieff, welcomed the funding, calling it a strategic investment designed to deliver “a triple return” by strengthening livelihoods, reinforcing local food systems and expanding opportunities for women and young people.
The EU said the funding builds on its existing support for resilience and school meals programmes in Afghanistan, with an emphasis on linking humanitarian assistance to longer-term economic recovery through local private sector engagement.
