WFP Warns Hunger Is Forcing Early Marriages in Afghanistan

The World Food Programme (WFP) has warned of a worsening malnutrition crisis in Afghanistan, saying extreme poverty and hunger are pushing some families to marry off their daughters at an early age as a last resort to secure food. The agency said the crisis is having a particularly severe impact on women and girls.

John Aylieff, WFP’s country director in Afghanistan, told Agence France-Presse that the organization is witnessing cases where families arrange early marriages simply to survive. He noted that the scale of the emergency has not received sufficient international attention, despite its long-term social and humanitarian consequences.

According to WFP estimates, around five million women and children are expected to suffer from malnutrition over the next year, with nearly four million children in urgent need of treatment. Aid cuts have forced the closure of several clinics, leaving families without support. Humanitarian groups warn that reduced assistance is also driving child labor and school dropouts, highlighting the depth of Afghanistan’s ongoing crisis.