Afghanistan, a country wracked by denial of basic rights under Taliban rule and shrinking economic opportunities amid international isolation, is experiencing severe food shortages and a deteriorating healthcare system that is failing to meet even the most basic needs.
The humanitarian emergency is accelerating into a nationwide hunger crisis as shrinking international aid, tightening border restrictions and regional instability converge on a country already struggling under economic isolation and Taliban rule.
The United Nations World Food Program warned that rising malnutrition among women and children is now being compounded by funding shortfalls and large-scale population returns from neighboring countries, leaving aid systems increasingly unable to keep pace with demand.
Nearly five million women and children are currently affected by acute malnutrition, according to UN estimates, in what aid agencies describe as one of the world’s most severe ongoing humanitarian crises.
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Carl Skau, WFP Deputy Executive Director, said recent field visits highlighted the depth of the deterioration on the ground.
“This week I met malnourished mothers and children who travelled for over two hours to reach a WFP-supported clinic in Hisar Shahi camp, only to be turned away because we have no nutritious supplements left to give them,” he said.
“What I saw in eastern Afghanistan is happening across the country, and it is heartbreaking and totally unacceptable.”
Aid system under strain as global attention shifts
Aid officials say Afghanistan is increasingly competing for global attention with other geopolitical crises, including the Iran conflict and wider disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz — developments that have drawn diplomatic and media focus away from long-running humanitarian emergencies.
Image: WFP/Danijela Milic
As a result, relief operations in Afghanistan are now largely sustained by UN agencies and a limited number of bilateral donors, including intermittent U.S. assistance, while broader funding commitments have declined.
Humanitarian workers warn that the shrinking financial base is forcing cutbacks in nutrition programs, particularly those targeting children and pregnant or breastfeeding women — groups most vulnerable to acute malnutrition.
Refugee returns and border closures deepen pressure
The crisis has been intensified by the return of more than 500,000 Afghans from Pakistan and Iran so far this year, adding to nearly 2.8 million returnees recorded last year, according to WFP figures.
Many arrive with no stable housing, income or access to basic services, placing additional strain on already overstretched communities.
At the same time, Afghanistan’s fragile cross-border economy has been disrupted by rising tensions with Pakistan, where security concerns linked to Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorist attacks have contributed to border closures and trade disruptions.
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Those closures have sharply affected food imports — particularly wheat, rice and cooking oil — on which landlocked Afghanistan remains heavily dependent. They have also disrupted seasonal agricultural exports such as dried fruits, a key income source for rural Afghan households.
Analysts say the combination of border instability and economic isolation is worsening food insecurity at precisely the moment humanitarian imports are declining.
Humanitarian warning signs extend beyond hunger
The WFP says it has attempted to maintain delivery routes and prioritize emergency nutrition support but warns that operational capacity is being stretched to its limits without fresh funding and guaranteed access corridors.
The agency is seeking $350 million over the next six months to sustain life-saving assistance program.
“I met malnourished mothers and children who travelled for over two hours to reach a clinic – only to be turned away as we have no supplies left,” said WFP’s @CarlSkau.
This is happening across Afghanistan right now. Urgent support is needed.
🔗https://t.co/6LHP2yFEK4 pic.twitter.com/bkfzpRIXSV
— WFP Asia Pacific (@WFPAsiaPacific) May 15, 2026
Beyond food insecurity, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has also raised concerns over a deteriorating civic environment, including the detention of journalists in recent days.
UNAMA has urged the de facto authorities to clarify legal grounds for arrests and ensure due process, warning that restrictions on media freedom are undermining transparency at a time of growing humanitarian need.
A crisis overshadowed and being left unresolved
Despite the scale of the emergency, aid officials say Afghanistan has receded from sustained global attention, as diplomatic energy is absorbed by active conflicts elsewhere like Strait of Hormuz crisis and shifting regional alignments.
Pakistan, which provides a lifeline for Afghanistan’s economy and connects it to sea via Gwadar and Karachi ports, is establishing new links to Central Asia, bypassing Afghanistan, which Islamabad sees as a hotbed of TTP’s militant activities.
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Yet humanitarian agencies warn that the underlying drivers — economic contraction, climate shocks, restricted trade routes and chronic underfunding — continue to intensify.
Without a reversal in funding trends, improved regional access, restoration of trade links with Pakistan, they caution, the crisis risks moving further from acute emergency into long-term structural collapse affecting millions of Afghan households.
Iftikhar Ali is a veteran Pakistani journalist, former president of UN Correspondents Association, and a recipient of the Pride of Performance civil award
Asim Tanveer is a seasoned journalist working for TV and electronic and print media outlets. He has been working for some of the world’s leading news organizations including Associated Press (AP), Reuters, BBC, CNN, CNBC, Star TV, Voice of America and The New York Times for more than 30 years. He has won several awards for his live coverage of events that include a Reuters News Agency World Award and the Pride of Performance award in 1997.
