WFP Warns 9.5M Afghans Face Hunger, Seeks $650M to Sustain Aid in 2025

The World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that 9.5 million people in Afghanistan are facing severe food insecurity. 

The UN agency stated that it needs $650 million in urgent financial aid to continue its life-saving operations until the end of 2025.

Meanwhile, residents of the capital complain about poverty, unemployment, and a decline in job opportunities, calling for immediate action by the caretaker government.

Abdul Rahim, a resident of Kabul, stands at a city intersection from morning until evening, hoping someone will hire him for manual labor. He complains about the poor economic situation and lack of job opportunities, saying that economic hardships have crippled him.

He told: “We come to the intersection from five in the morning until six in the evening, but we don’t find work. We get a job once a week, which is not enough to cover household expenses. There’s house rent, electricity bills, and cold weather. We are confused and don’t know what to do.”

Nematullah, another resident of Kabul, urged the caretaker government to provide jobs: “Our request from the Islamic Emirate is to give people jobs. People are unemployed and live below the poverty line.”

Abdul Basir echoed the same sentiment: “The caretaker government should help laborers and create job opportunities. God willing, people will find work and be able to earn a lawful piece of bread for their families.”

However, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Economy considers the role of the WFP significant in providing humanitarian aid and calls on the international community to support the organization.

Abdul Latif Nazari, Deputy Minister of Economy, said: “The role of international organizations, including the World Food Programme, is beneficial in humanitarian aid. Our request to the international community is to support effective organizations so these aids can reach the Afghan people in humanitarian and developmental aspects.”

According to WFP statistics, at least 4.6 million mothers and children in Afghanistan suffer from malnutrition, and two-thirds of households headed by women cannot meet their basic nutritional needs.