As a country already prone to natural disasters, climate change has increased Afghanistan’s likelihood of suffering extreme weather events. This is having devastating effects on access to food and has contributed to putting one million children at risk of severe malnutrition. Compounding this crisis, 2023 marked the country's third successive year plagued by drought-like conditions, with 35% of Afghanistan's population finding themselves confronting acute food insecurity. The drought has led to households struggling with malnutrition even after harvest.

This snapshot shows the numbers of new migrants arriving from the Balkan route encountered by IRC Italy and Diaconia Valdese in Trieste Central Station area during the reporting period. The data was gathered through individual and group interviews with people reached for the purpose of providing them with legal orientation and first aid. The monitoring activity is carried out during the entire daytime, and partially in the evening, of every day of the year, including weekends and holidays.

The IRC conducted a multi-sector needs assessment in 2024, covering the sectors of Protection, Health, Education and Economic Wellbeing, to identify key needs to support humanitarian program design in the coming period. Findings show that humanitarian needs are at an all time high, particularly impacted by shifts in the context in 2023, including the earthquake in Turkiye and the highest levels of violence seen across northern Syria since 2020. Millions of individuals continue to be unable to meet their basic needs.

An alarming estimate of 15.3 million people in Afghanistan were facing food insecurity in 2023. Today, starvation could likely kill more Afghans than the last twenty years of war have.