Afghanistan One Step From Famine as Hunger Crisis Deepens

That's according to UN aid coordination office spokesperson Olga Cherevko, who has just returned from a field visit with a stark call to action.

Nearly 16 million Afghans are facing crisis-level hunger - some 3.4 million of them living in emergency conditions, said Ms. Cherevko, briefing from Kabul on Tuesday.

"I want to start with something that can get lost when we talk about Afghanistan through numbers: a harvest can improve, markets can have food, but families can still go hungry," she said, calling it "one of the clearest takeaways" from her recent visits to southern and northeastern Afghanistan.

Ms. Cherevko called for immediate and sustained action to help the people of Afghanistan "before families have exhausted their options".

'Outlook is deteriorating'

Record acute malnutrition levels for the August-October period have seen hunger levels grow for millions of Afghans, according to the latest findings from the UN-supported global food security monitor, or IPC.

The situation is poised to worsen, Ms. Cherevko said.

"I saw first-hand that this crisis is not simply about whether food exists, but whether people can afford it, whether they can earn an income, access basic services or whether they have anything left to fall back on when the next shock comes," Ms. Cherekov said, adding that hunger levels are expected to rise for around 19 million people once winter begins next month.

"The outlook is deteriorating," she said. "These numbers represent children whose parents cannot afford nutritious food and families whose ability to cope has been worn down by years of conflict, economic hardship, drought and other shocks," she said.

Systematic exclusion

Highlighting another dimension to this crisis that will shape Afghanistan long after the next lean season, Ms. Cherevko pointed to the Taliban's systematic exclusion of women and girls in schools and society.

"The consequences are already felt," she added, pointing to a "shocking" UN Children's Fund ( UNICEF ) report warning that, if current restrictions continue, Afghanistan could lose up to 20,000 women teachers and 5,400 female health workers by 2030.

The impact on nutrition is equally important as malnutrition is shaped by maternal health, access to healthcare, dietary diversity, education and the ability to earn a living.

"Undermining this weakens families' ability to protect their children and make recovery harder in the future," she said.

Beyond aid

Humanitarian assistance is indispensable and must continue, but more is needed, Ms. Cherevko said.

"Humanitarian aid can and does save lives today," she said, "but only sustained, inclusive investment in livelihoods, services and economic opportunity can help people build lives that are less dependent on emergency assistance tomorrow."

Afghanistan needs such investment in the foundations of recovery: agriculture and rural livelihoods, local markets, employment, water systems, health and nutrition services and opportunities for women to participate in economic life.

'We must act before winter'

Ms. Cherevko said "we cannot keep asking humanitarian aid to compensate indefinitely for the absence of economic opportunity and essential public services.

"We must act before winter, not after families have exhausted their option," she cautioned.

"My visits this month to the south and northeast reinforced why this needs to be understood as more than an emergency response," she added arguing that a realistic way must be found to support families going forward.