IRC expands food assistance in Afghanistan as 4.7 million people face starvation

Kabul, Afghanistan, January 13, 2026 - As figures show that 17 million people in Afghanistanare now in urgent need of humanitarian food assistance, a new assessment in some of the country's hardest hit areas by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) reveals the depth of the hunger crisis. In response to these findings, the IRC has scaled up emergency food support in Bamiyan, Kunar and Herat provinces.

Key findings from the needs assessment, conducted in Bamiyan, Kunar and Herat, include:

• 95% of participants had 'poor' Food Consumption Scores, indicating insufficient daily food access
• 95% reported extreme survival measures, including borrowing money and delaying medical care
• 93% of infants under six months and 84% of children under two were breastfed; a grim reflection of the new reality that an estimated 1.2 million pregnant or breastfeeding women are predicted to suffer acute malnutrition in 2026

Amid rising food prices and growing lack of income for most families in Afghanistan, almost 3.7 million children aged 6 months to 5 years old are suffering from acute malnutrition, with around one third suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition. Meanwhile, the arrival of almost 3 million Afghan returnees from Iran and Pakistan has compounded decades of economic turmoil, drought and recurring natural disasters, deepening the country's humanitarian crisis. The IRC is profoundly fearful for the survival of the 4.7 million - more than 10% of the population - who are at risk of starvation.

Lisa Owen, IRC Afghanistan Director, said,

"Acute hunger is a persistent challenge in Afghanistan, yet the latest figures show an appalling deterioration in humanitarian needs. As the winter season lingers on, more families will be on the doorstep of starvation and yet the humanitarian response in Afghanistan remains gravely under-funded.

"The last year has been a significant test for humanitarian actors, who have struggled to keep essential and lifesaving programmes afloat amid severe funding cuts to aid. Aid provided by the United States government has been a lifeline for more than 23 million people living in dire circumstances in Afghanistan, and the IRC has been providing services since 1988. Without the full restoration of this funding, the consequences will be catastrophic. The IRC's reach in Afghanistan has plummeted by nearly two-thirds since U.S. funding cuts took effect - a potential death knell for millions who are at risk of being left without critical food assistance. World leaders must not look away. Humanitarian funding must be scaled up urgently to pull Afghans back from the brink of starvation."

In response to rising hunger levels, the IRC has launched a Cash for Food programme to provide cash support to 3,200 households in Bamiyan, Kunar and Herat provinces. Meanwhile, harsh winter conditions have left millions in danger as temperatures plummet and communities have few resources for heating. IRC teams also deliver winterization support, including cash assistance, winter clothing, blankets, and food supplies to help families meet their most urgent needs. The IRC is also supporting health facilities and education classes with heating systems, fuel and winterization supplies, helping ensure continued access to essential services during the coldest months.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) began work in Afghanistan in 1988 and now works with thousands of villages across five provinces. As Afghanistan struggles to recover from years of conflict and natural disasters, the IRC works with local communities to identify, plan and manage their own development projects, provides safe learning spaces in rural areas, basic health services to remote and hard-to-access communities, cash distribution provides uprooted families with tents, clean water, sanitation and other basic necessities, and helps people find livelihood opportunities as well as extensive resilience programming. During the 2025 fiscal year our teams reached 780,000 people in five provinces.