Number of Afghans to face acute food insecurity by April - News in Numbers - 19.2 In million. More than 19 million people in Afghanistan are projected to face acute food insecurity in winter lean season from November to April, UN humanitarian agency OCHA has warned. Around five million people expected to face emergency levels of hunger. Funding cuts have forced many nutrition centres to suspend services.
Why crisis? Afghanistan economy collapsed after Taliban takeover 2021. Foreign aid, which was 75% of budget, cut. US froze $7 billion reserves. Drought third consecutive year, wheat production down 30%. Food prices up 40% due to Ukraine war and Pakistani border closure. Funding for WFP fell 60% in 2026 as donors shift to Gaza, Ukraine.
19.2 million is nearly half of 41 million population. Five million in emergency - IPC Phase 4 - means near famine. Children worst affected - 3.2 million children acutely malnourished, 1 million at risk of death.
OCHA says 2026 Humanitarian Response Plan requires $3.2 billion, but only 25% funded. Nutrition centres in Kandahar, Herat closed due to lack of funds, staff unpaid for 6 months.
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For India, which has sent 50,000 tonnes wheat via Chabahar port, Afghanistan crisis is both humanitarian and strategic - instability pushes refugees to Iran and Pakistan, drugs to India. Taliban's ban on women working for NGOs worsens aid delivery.
Analytically, Afghanistan shows how aid dependency plus climate plus conflict equals food crisis. World Food Programme says every $1 spent on nutrition saves $16 in healthcare. Cutting aid is false economy.
For South Asia, food insecurity in Afghanistan may increase migration to Pakistan, which itself faces school collapse deaths and economic crisis, creating regional chain.
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Need for India to push for unfreezing of Afghan funds and scaling up Chabahar route.
Tags: #Afghanistan #FoodInsecurity #OCHA #HungerCrisis #WFP #Taliban #HumanitarianAid #WinterCrisis #UN #SouthAsia