Act as hunger deepens
A record nutrition crisis is worsening during the peak wasting season. The World Food Programme reports that 17.4 million people need urgent food assistance and 4.9 million women and children are expected to need malnutrition treatment in 2026.
Stand with families facing hunger
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Crisis timeline
Verified events are kept in reverse chronological order. Older entries remain visible as needs and the response change.
For a fuller report, read our Afghanistan child malnutrition news report.
World Food Programme and UN humanitarian officials warned that child deaths were rising as funding shortages forced nutrition services and preventive food distributions to be suspended in some of the worst-affected areas. Twelve provinces had reached critical acute child-malnutrition levels.
Sources: World Food Programme and United Nations humanitarian officials
UNICEF said 3.7 million children under five faced heightened malnutrition risk and that wasting had worsened in 26 of 34 provinces compared with 2025. Children under two accounted for 83% of severe and 77% of moderate acute malnutrition cases.
Source: UNICEF Afghanistan
The World Food Programme documented how drought, displacement, economic hardship and shrinking aid were driving a silent nutrition emergency. Families reported cutting meals while overstretched clinics struggled to meet growing demand.
Source: World Food Programme
WFP warned that regional conflict, mass returns, economic distress and deep aid cuts were overwhelming the response. It said millions needed urgent food support while access to malnutrition treatment was becoming increasingly limited.
Source: World Food Programme
UNICEF estimated that 21.9 million people, including 11.6 million children, would need humanitarian assistance in 2026. Its appeal sought $949.1 million to reach 12 million people with health, nutrition, water, education and protection services.
Source: UNICEF Humanitarian Action for Children
Verified emergency facts
These dated figures were checked on 7 August 2026. Humanitarian estimates can change as assessments and funding are updated.
WFP says hunger is being driven by drought, displacement, conflict, economic distress and shrinking aid.
The projected 2026 caseload is a record while access to treatment is increasingly limited.
Funding shortages mean assistance reaches only a fraction of families in need.
Why help matters now
Afghanistan's 2025 drought damaged crops across more than half the country. Forced returns, earthquake shocks, conflict and weak household incomes have pushed more families towards hunger.
WFP and UNICEF maintain active public appeals for food, nutrition, health, water and protection work in Afghanistan. Their appeals demonstrate a legitimate and continuing call for public support.
This AidWorkers.com campaign is independent. Cited organisations are evidence sources and are not presented as partners or recipients of donations to AidWorkers.com.
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Check the evidence
Need, response capacity and active public fundraising were checked before publication. Fast-moving claims are dated and attributed in plain text.
No. This is an independent AidWorkers.com campaign. The organisations above are cited only as evidence sources and examples of active public fundraising. They are not presented as partners or recipients.
No such claim is made. The campaign supports AidWorkers.com's hunger-related humanitarian purposes, including verified public information, practical resources, response readiness and authorised direct or partner support where feasible. Any confirmed transfer or delivery should be reported separately and transparently.
Seasonal conditions, population movements, funding and service access continue to change. Figures on this page are dated so later updates can be added without erasing the historical record.
First published: . Last fact-checked: .
