Afghanistan Faces Winter Food and Health Crisis as Storage Gaps and Heat Scarcity Exacerbate Vulnerabilities

In Afghanistan, many households depend on food stored after the harvest, but inadequate storage leads to spoilage or depletion before the next harvest, forcing purchases at high prices when labour is scarce. Food stocks often run out in winter, yet acute malnutrition peaks in summer alongside rising diarrhoeal disease, indicating that health problems are a key driver of malnutrition. Access to heaters and fuel is severely limited; some families use open fires or burn plastic waste, increasing illness risk. At higher elevations, snowfall can make roads impassable as early as September‑October in Badakhshan and Nuristan, isolating communities. Early action is needed to support vulnerable populations before settlements become inaccessible.