Aid groups warn women and children are hit the hardest in Afghanistan's worsening humanitarian crisis.

Kabul

Afghanistan is experiencing a severe humanitarian crisis, exacerbated by significant cuts in international aid, especially from the United States. Aid agencies report that the number of people receiving assistance has dropped from 10 million to about 1.5 million, with nearly half the population—approximately 17 million people—now facing acute food insecurity.

The reduction in funding has led to the closure of clinics, suspension of food programs, and limited access to essential health and nutrition services, particularly affecting women and children. Aid groups warn that without the restoration of international support, the situation is likely to deteriorate further as winter sets in.

Afghanistan aid cuts deepen hunger crisis as winter approaches

Afghanistan is facing one of its worst humanitarian crises since the fall of the previous government in 2021. Aid agencies warn it's been worsened by deep cuts to U.S. assistance, once the country's largest source of humanitarian funding. Earlier this year, Washington moved to hold nearly all remaining aid to Afghanistan as part of a broader rollback of foreign assistance programs. The decision followed years of gradual reductions after the Taliban takeover. But humanitarian groups say the latest cuts have pushed an already fragile system toward collapse. In Afghanistan, two years ago, we were assisting 10 million people. Today, you know, we are around 1.5, and we don't have the resources to preposition food in areas that won't be accessible during the winter. So we and really malnutrition among children, not least under five, has really, you know, surged over these past few months. And so we know that through this winter, children will die. According to the World Food Program, nearly half of Afghanistan's population, around 17 million people, now face acute food insecurity. Aid groups say reduced funding has forced them to cut food rations, scale back operations or suspend them altogether. We've seen dramatic aid cuts and cuts to food assistance. And the poorest Afghans are now asking themselves, how are we going to make it through the winter? Forced returns of Afghans from neighboring countries, widespread drought and a dramatic decline in food assistance across the country have created a devastating, devastating hunger crisis now affecting 17 million people. The health sector has been hit particularly hard. Hundreds of clinics once supported by U.S. funding have shut down or drastically reduced services. Maternal care, childhood vaccinations and emergency treatment, which used to be free, are now out of reach for many families. Women and children are among the hardest hit. Aid cuts have forced the closure of education programs, nutrition centers and services aimed at women, compounding the impact of existing restrictions on girls' schooling and women's employment. When disasters strike, the consequences are even more severe. Recent earthquakes exposed gaps in emergency response, with aid agencies saying funding shortages left them unable to respond effectively. With winter setting in and funding scarce, aid agencies warned the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan could deteriorate further unless international support is restored. Rasool Sardar, Al Jazeera.

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Breakdown