Nearly 19.2M Afghans projected to face acute hunger this winter: UN

Nearly 19.2 million people in Afghanistan are projected to face acute food insecurity this winter due to funding shortages, the UN humanitarian affairs office warned Tuesday.

Between September and October, 15.9 million people, "nearly one in three Afghans," are facing acute food insecurity at crisis level or worse, Olga Cherevko, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Afghanistan, told reporters in Geneva.

This winter, she said, 5 million people could face emergency levels of hunger.

More than 4 million children aged between 6 months and 5 years are projected to need treatment for acute malnutrition next year, including nearly 1.1 million for acute malnutrition, she said.

Approximately one-third of nutrition sites have closed or suspended services, partly due to funding cuts.

"Once these services disappear, the consequences can be irreversible, especially for children," Cherevko warned.

Despite improved rainfall and agricultural production, she said millions remain unable to afford food, while years of conflict, drought and economic hardship have eroded families' ability to cope.

"But one good harvest after several years of drought cannot undo the damage," she said.

Cherevko also warned that restrictions on women and girls are worsening the crisis, citing UNICEF estimates that Afghanistan could lose up to 20,000 women teachers and 5,400 female health workers by 2030 if current restrictions continue.

She called for urgent humanitarian assistance ahead of winter, alongside sustained investment in agriculture, employment, healthcare and economic opportunities for women.