Afghanistan continues to face severe acute food insecurity, with 15.9 million people (32 percent of the population) facing IPC Phase 3 or above (Crisis or worse) between September and October 2026, including 3.4 million people experiencing Emergency (IPC Phase 4) conditions.
Economic pressures—weak purchasing power, unemployment, inflation, rising input costs due to the Middle East conflict, cross-border tensions with Pakistan, trade disruptions, and large-scale returns—continue to strain large segments of the Afghan population. Although improved rainfall and better agricultural production have supported food availability, declining humanitarian assistance is eroding households’ ability to cope.