Food insecurity in Afghanistan has reached record levels for the August–October period, with more than 32 per cent of the population facing crisis-level acute food insecurity — phase three or above on the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) scale — including 3.4 million people in emergency phase four conditions, according to an IPC report. The deterioration is driven by disease outbreaks, inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene conditions, and sharply reduced access to nutrition services.
The situation is projected to worsen significantly between November and April during the winter lean season, when nearly 19.2 million people are expected to face phase three or above, including five million in emergency food insecurity conditions. Acute malnutrition among children is also set to grow: 4.04 million children under age five are projected to need treatment between January and December 2027. The IPC report noted that although improved rainfall and better agricultural production have supported food availability, declining humanitarian assistance is reducing households' ability to cope.
The World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) jointly called for urgent funding to scale up food assistance, emergency agricultural support, and malnutrition prevention and treatment. "We still have a window to act, but it is closing fast," said WFP country director John Aylieff. FAO representative Richard Trenchard said families need opportunities to earn a dependable living that helps them withstand future shocks, as well as support through the coming winter.
Separately, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reported a continued erosion of basic human rights between July and September. Girls remain barred from formal education beyond grade six; a Taliban spokesperson cited "problems and considerations" under Sharia law. UNAMA documented more than 50 cases of women arrested, detained, or cautioned over hijab violations — including a 13-year-old girl held overnight — and recorded at least 443 arbitrary arrests and 97 incidents of ill-treatment by virtue and vice inspectors. Public lashings of 22 men and six women were documented on charges including theft and adultery. Several media outlets were suspended without clear reasons or appeal procedures, and a new police law published in August bans all demonstrations. Since October 2025, cross-border violence has killed 512 civilians and injured 1,236, with 33 casualties in the most recent quarter, including children killed in Pakistani airstrikes on homes in Kunar and Helmand.
This article is based on a primary source and has undergone editorial review prior to publication.
