At a Glance
- Rahimullah sells socks for $4.5-$6 a day in Kabul.
- Aid cuts have left 22.9 million Afghans needing help and 17 million facing crisis-level hunger this winter.
- 7.1 million refugees have returned, driving up rents and food prices.
- Why it matters: Families across Afghanistan are battling hunger and displacement as international aid shrinks.
In eastern Kabul, a 29-year-old former army soldier now earns only a few dollars a day selling socks, a stark reminder of how aid cuts and a surge of returning refugees are pushing millions toward food insecurity.
Stretched Aid and Rising Costs
The International Committee for the Red Cross reported that nearly half the Afghan population-22.9 million people-will need humanitarian assistance in 2025, but the U.N. Food Programme says more than 17 million now face crisis-level hunger this winter, up 3 million from a year ago.
The World Food Programme warned that only about 1 million of the most vulnerable have received food aid this lean season, compared to 5.6 million last year, after the U.N. halted U.S. aid to its food distribution programs.
Tom Fletcher said:
> ‘This winter was “the first in years with almost no international food distribution.”‘
Key figures
- 22.9 million people need aid in 2025
- 17 million people in crisis-level hunger this winter
- 1 million received food aid this season
Return of Refugees and Housing Crisis
Minister of Refugees and Repatriation Affairs Abdul Kabir said 7.1 million Afghan refugees have returned over the last four years, putting pressure on housing and food supplies.
Rahimullah, who fled to Pakistan after the Taliban seized power in 2021, was deported back two years later and received cash and food aid. He said:
> ‘The assistance was helping me a lot.’
He added:
> ‘Now I don’t have enough money to live on. God forbid, if I were to face a serious illness or any other problem, it would be very difficult for me to handle because I don’t have any extra money for expenses.’
His landlord has nearly doubled the rent from 4,500 afghanis (about $67) to 8,000 afghanis (about $120), forcing the family to move.
Winter Hardships in the North
In Badakhshan province, Sherin Gul’s family of 12-including 10 children-relied on a six-month supply of staples from the Food Programme. Since then, they have no food.
Gul, a former cleaner, said:
> ‘There have been times when we have nothing to eat at night, and my little children have fallen asleep without food. I have only given them green tea and they have fallen asleep crying.’
Key challenges
- 12 family members, 10 children
- 7 girls and 3 boys
- No food supply since the end of the six-month aid period
| Metric | 2025 Winter | 2024 Winter |
|---|---|---|
| Food assistance recipients | 1 million | 5.6 million |
Key Takeaways
- Aid cuts have left 17 million Afghans in crisis-level hunger.
- 7.1 million refugees returning to Afghanistan are straining housing and food resources.
- Families in the north face severe food shortages and cold-weather hardship.
As international aid dwindles and returning refugees strain limited resources, Afghan families face a bleak winter with limited food, rising rents, and a looming crisis.
