As winter approaches, millions of Afghans are facing a deepening food and malnutrition crisis

An escalating humanitarian crisis, severe drought and the Covid-19 pandemic have left millions of people in Afghanistan without enough food to eat. 

The World Food Programme predicts nearly 23 million people - or over half of Afghanistan’s population - will face acute food insecurity this month. This devastating level of need is only likely to rise as the winter months go by.

Speaking from Kabul, Sudipta Kumar, Country Director of ActionAid Afghanistan, says:  

“As winter approaches, half the population of Afghanistan is facing a deepening food and malnutrition crisis.  

“Women and girls are most at risk as recent conflict, drought and rising poverty are forcing families to flee to urban centres in search of work and safety.

“Displaced families are telling us their most urgent needs are food and fuel to heat their homes as they face plummeting temperatures, soaring levels of unemployment and high inflation making essential items unaffordable.”

With a biting cold spell and snowfall expected to hit in December, displaced families and host communities face a harsh winter, of rising hunger and struggling to afford fuel to heat their homes.

ActionAid is providing emergency support to communities in four provinces of Afghanistan including Herat, Kabul, Ghor and Balkh. ActionAid’s emergency response teams are distributing cash support and hygiene kits with specific emphasis on the needs of women and girls, to around 1,000 families.

ActionAid is scaling up its response in the coming weeks to reach more than 10,000 families with food support and essential items to survive Afghanistan’s harsh winter, including blankets and heating equipment.  

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For more information and interviews contact Jenna.Pudelek@actionaid.org or call +447795642990.