IRC Scales Up Food Assistance as 4.7 Million Afghans Face Starvation

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has expanded emergency food support in Bamiyan, Kunar, and Herat provinces amid a worsening hunger crisis, with 17 million people across Afghanistan now in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, Reliefweb.int reported.

A recent IRC assessment revealed that 95% of participants had poor food access, relying on extreme survival measures such as borrowing money and delaying medical care. Acute malnutrition is widespread: nearly 3.7 million children aged six months to five years are affected, including one-third suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition. About 1.2 million pregnant or breastfeeding women are projected to face acute malnutrition this year.

The crisis is worsened by nearly three million Afghan returnees from Iran and Pakistan, economic instability, drought, and natural disasters.

In response, the IRC launched a Cash for Food programme for 3,200 households and is providing winterization support, including cash assistance, blankets, clothing, and fuel for health facilities and schools. IRC Afghanistan Director Lisa Owen warned that underfunded aid risks leaving millions without life-saving support.

The IRC has operated in Afghanistan since 1988, reaching over 780,000 people in 2025.