Afghanistan ranks fifth among the world’s worst-affected countries for acute hunger, with 17.4 million people, about 36 percent of its population, facing high levels of food insecurity, according to the 2026 Global Report on Food Crises.
The report, published by an alliance of United Nations agencies, the European Union and partner organizations, places Afghanistan among a group of 10 countries that together account for two-thirds of people experiencing severe hunger worldwide.
Only Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan and Yemen reported higher numbers of people facing acute food insecurity. Countries including Myanmar, Bangladesh, Pakistan, South Sudan and Syria reported lower figures than Afghanistan, according to the report.
Of those affected in Afghanistan, about 4.7 million people are experiencing emergency levels of hunger, the report said, a stage marked by severe food shortages and heightened risk of famine.
Globally, the report found that 266 million people across 47 countries experienced high levels of acute food insecurity in 2025 — nearly a quarter of the population analyzed and almost double the share recorded in 2016.
The findings point to a deepening and increasingly concentrated crisis. “Hunger is no longer a series of short-term emergencies, but a persistent and growing global challenge,” the report said.
Conflict remains the primary driver, accounting for more than half of those facing severe hunger worldwide. Afghanistan is among a group of countries where insecurity, economic strain and climate shocks have combined to sustain high levels of food need.
The report also highlighted a sharp rise in the severity of hunger. More than 39 million people in 32 countries faced emergency levels of food insecurity, while the number of those experiencing catastrophic hunger has increased dramatically in recent years.
Children are among the hardest hit. In 2025, an estimated 35.5 million children were acutely malnourished worldwide, including nearly 10 million suffering from severe acute malnutrition, a life-threatening condition.
Aid agencies also warned that displacement is compounding the crisis. More than 85 million people were displaced across food-crisis settings last year, with displaced populations facing higher levels of hunger than host communities.
Despite the scale of the crisis, funding for food and nutrition programs has declined to levels last seen nearly a decade ago, limiting the ability of governments and humanitarian organizations to respond.
Looking ahead, the report warns that ongoing conflicts, climate shocks and economic instability are likely to keep food insecurity at critical levels in 2026.
Without a shift in approach, aid agencies say, hunger risks becoming a permanent feature of global instability rather than a temporary emergency.
