Afghanistan’s economy remains exceedingly fragile, and the food insecurity remains alarmingly high. In October 2023, during the post-harvest season, approximately 13.1 million people, accounting for 29 percent of the total population faced high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above).

The main drivers of this acute food insecurity included challenging economic conditions, high unemployment rates, reduced livelihood opportunities and decreased remittances. The adverse impact of extreme and variable climatic conditions – particularly the multi-year drought experienced between 2021 and 2023 – continue to be felt in 2023. Additionally, other natural hazards such as flooding and earthquakes further compromised the limited coping capacity of the population, resulting in the persistence of a severe food insecurity situation.

In the projection period, between November 2023 and March 2024 (corresponding to the winter lean season) a further deterioration in food security is expected, with the number of people in IPC Phase 3 or above likely to rise to 15.8 million (36 percent of the total population), including about 3.6 million people in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency), and about 12.3 million people in IPC Phase 3 (Crisis).

Compared to the same period of previous years, the decrease of number of people facing high food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above) during the lean season (November 2023 – March 2024), and especially in Emergency (IPC Phase 4), can be attributed predominantly to the extensive, timely and efficient delivery of humanitarian food and agriculture assistance.