US cuts to Afghan food aid leave millions at risk of famine

WFP warns half rations for only half of Afghanistan’s hungry as US aid cuts deepen the crisis.

Afghan refugees sit atop a loaded vehicle at a holding center near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Chaman on April 9, 2025, ahead of their departure for Afghanistan. Photo by Abdul Basit/AFP

By Anna Fadiah and Hayu Andini

Millions of people in Afghanistan face worsening hunger as the United States slashes funding for emergency food assistance, according to the World Food Programme (WFP), which warns it can now support only half the people in need — and even then, with only half the amount of food originally planned. The US cuts to Afghan food aid come at a time when the country remains entrenched in one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

With a population of roughly 45 million, nearly a third of all Afghans require food assistance to survive, and over 3 million are currently teetering on the brink of famine, according to the United Nations. Acting country director for WFP in Afghanistan, Mutinta Chimuka, sounded the alarm in an interview with AFP, stressing that existing resources are nowhere near enough.

“With what resources we have now, barely eight million people will get assistance across the year,” she said. “And that’s only if we get everything else that we are expecting from other donors.”

A growing crisis under shrinking support

Afghanistan is experiencing the world’s second-largest humanitarian emergency. The WFP has already cut back on its aid programs, giving out only half rations to stretch limited funding. These rations are designed to meet a daily minimum of 2,100 kilocalories per person — the absolute basic amount to sustain human health.

“We’re talking about a basic package,” Chimuka said. “But it’s life-saving. And we should, as a global community, be able to provide that.”

That goal now seems increasingly out of reach. The US cuts to Afghan food aid, part of a broader rollback in foreign assistance ordered by President Donald Trump earlier this year, have left aid agencies scrambling. The administration announced cuts to emergency food assistance in 14 countries — including Afghanistan — despite the executive order officially exempting such aid.

While Washington has reversed course for six of those countries, Afghanistan remains on the list, potentially sealing what WFP described as “a death sentence for millions” if the decision is not walked back.

A collision of crises

Afghanistan’s challenges go far beyond just food insecurity. Decades of conflict, political instability, widespread poverty, and natural disasters have all played a role in deepening the humanitarian emergency. With foreign aid drying up, those left behind face staggering odds.

“If additional funding doesn’t come through,” said Chimuka, “then there’s the possibility that we may have to go to communities and tell them we’re not able to support them. And how do they survive?”

Unemployment remains sky-high, and the country’s already fragile economy is further strained by a recent influx of Afghans being deported from Pakistan. Many of these returnees arrive with nothing — no homes, no belongings, no jobs.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has called on the international community to recommit to funding humanitarian operations. In a recent statement, the UN said 22.9 million Afghans would need aid this year.

“If we want to help the Afghan people escape the vicious cycle of poverty and suffering,” said Indrika Ratwatte, UN humanitarian coordinator in Afghanistan, “we must continue to have the means to address urgent needs while simultaneously laying the groundwork for long-term resilience and stability.”

Strained regional and global consequences

Analysts warn that failing to support Afghans today could trigger broader regional effects. Without assistance, migration will increase — both internal displacement and movement toward neighboring countries or beyond — placing pressure on already unstable regions.

Even before the recent US cuts, international support for Afghanistan had been on the decline. Countries like Germany and the UK have reduced their overseas aid budgets significantly. But the United States, once the single largest donor to humanitarian operations in Afghanistan, has made the most severe reductions.

Last fiscal year, the US contributed $280 million to the WFP’s Afghan operations — the biggest slice of the agency’s funding in the country. That lifeline has now been sharply reduced.

Beyond WFP, other critical UN agencies and local NGOs are suffering under the weight of these cuts. Some have already closed their doors, while others teeter on the edge of collapse. This is particularly alarming for organizations working on agriculture and malnutrition — two sectors that directly affect the survival of millions.

Cuts beyond food

The Trump administration’s rollback has hit more than just food programs. The UN Population Fund, which promotes reproductive and sexual health, saw two of its programs canceled — one of them in Afghanistan.

These cuts are affecting every layer of humanitarian aid. Agricultural development programs have ground to a halt in a country where around 80 percent of the population relies on farming for income and sustenance. Malnutrition programs are under pressure just as rates of child wasting and stunting begin to climb.

“We all need to work together,” Chimuka urged. “And if all of us are cut at the knees, it doesn’t work.”

Only half the help for half the people

Even with rationing, WFP says its reach has become dangerously limited. The organization typically assists up to two million people during the harshest months, especially in winter when roads are impassable and food stocks dwindle. This year, those numbers will drop — possibly leaving millions without lifesaving support during the most difficult time of year.

The global funding crisis is forcing aid agencies to make impossible choices: Who gets food and who goes hungry?

The US cuts to Afghan food aid have sent shockwaves through the humanitarian community. For the Afghan people, who have endured war, droughts, floods, and now growing political isolation under Taliban rule, the news could not come at a worse time.

A call to action

Humanitarian groups say it’s not too late — but action must come quickly. With the summer planting season underway, aid organizations stress the need to support agriculture now to prevent a bigger hunger crisis later in the year.

Meanwhile, donor countries are being called upon to step up, not just to fill the gap left by the United States, but to recommit to Afghanistan’s long-term stability.

“If we don’t act now,” warned Chimuka, “we’re not just talking about hunger. We’re talking about a complete collapse of hope for millions of people.”

The situation demands urgent attention. The US cuts to Afghan food aid may appear as a policy move on paper, but on the ground, they translate into hunger, displacement, and despair. And unless reversed or compensated for by other donors, the consequences will be measured in lives lost.