Afghanistan: From Rural Drought to Urban Shortages: Afghanistan’s New Hungry

Oct 6, 2021 | Shadi Khan and Irwin Loy, New Humanitarian
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Weeks after the Taliban’s mid-August takeover, Afghanistan’s aid-dependent economy is straining under donor funding freezes and currency shortages. Food and commodity prices are soaring, work and income are scarce, and aid groups fear a humanitarian catastrophe looms. Only five percent of Afghan households reported having enough food to eat, according to recent World Food Programme surveys. For the first time, there are similar levels of food insecurity among urban Afghans as drought-hit rural ones, the UN agency said: “Job losses, lack of cash, and soaring prices are creating a new class of hungry in Afghanistan.”