KABUL, Afghanistan — Kuwait has contributed $500,000 to Afghanistan through the United Nations’ humanitarian fund, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
OCHA stated that the funds would be used to support Afghanistan’s most vulnerable populations in emergency situations.
The donation comes amid a worsening hunger crisis in Afghanistan, which has severely affected mothers and children, according to a report from the World Food Programme (WFP). The agency said it has been unable to provide food assistance to two million women and children this year due to financial constraints.
Afghanistan remains one of 22 countries globally facing a hunger crisis, WFP noted. The agency stressed that without donor support and adequate funding, its operations in Afghanistan would not be sustainable.
A recent WFP report highlighted the urgent need for $617 million by December 2024 to meet the needs of vulnerable populations in Afghanistan. However, the organization has not disclosed how much of this funding has been secured so far.
Earlier, France also announced a contribution of three million euros (approximately 216 million Afghanis) to Afghanistan’s humanitarian fund.
Despite these efforts, WFP estimates that 12.4 million people in Afghanistan are experiencing “acute” food insecurity.
The United Nations has warned that donor countries have scaled back aid to Afghanistan this year, citing restrictions and bans imposed by the Taliban, particularly on women’s participation in the workforce. This reduction in aid has left U.N. agencies facing severe budget shortfalls, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the country.
