If you haven’t checked the latest news in Afghanistan now, you might have missed that the country is basically hitting a breaking point. It’s not just one thing. It is everything hitting at once.
Winter in the Hindu Kush is never easy. But this January? It’s brutal.
Honestly, the headlines coming out of Kabul and Kandahar right now feel like a slow-motion disaster. We aren’t talking about politics in the way we used to. We’re talking about 17 million people—nearly half the country—who don't know where their next meal is coming from.
The Hunger Crisis No One Is Fixing
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) just dropped some pretty terrifying numbers. About 4.7 million Afghans are literally on the doorstep of starvation as we speak. That is 10% of the entire population.
Think about that for a second.
You’ve got parents in Herat traveling hundreds of miles just to get to a hospital because their kids are skin and bones. Nurses are saying they see babies in the "last stage" where hope is basically gone. It’s gut-wrenching.
Why is this happening now? Well, it’s a "perfect storm" situation.
📖 Related: Trump Derangement Syndrome Definition: What Most People Get Wrong
- The Funding Cliff: Global aid has cratered. The UN’s appeal for 2026 is only about 37% funded so far.
- The Returnees: Over 2.5 million people have been pushed back into Afghanistan from Pakistan and Iran recently. Imagine a country that’s already broke suddenly getting millions of new mouths to feed.
- The Weather: A massive drought has wiped out nearly 80% of the rainfed wheat crops.
Basically, the safety net is gone. About 400 health clinics have closed because there’s no money to keep the lights on or pay the doctors.
What’s Actually Happening with the Taliban?
You’d think a crisis this big would pull everyone together, but the latest news in Afghanistan now shows some real cracks in the Taliban leadership.
There is this growing "Kandahar vs. Kabul" vibe. On one side, you have the supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, who is staying super isolated in Kandahar and doubling down on the most extreme rules. On the other side, some of the guys in Kabul—like Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani—seem to realize that you can’t run a country if everyone is starving and the internet is turned off.
Leaked audio recently surfaced where Akhundzada was basically warning about a collapse from internal fighting. That is a huge deal. It’s the first time we’ve really seen them admit they aren’t a unified front.
In late 2025, there was even a weird standoff where the Kandahar leadership tried to shut down the internet nationwide because they thought it was "un-Islamic." The Kabul ministers actually reversed the order after a few days because they knew it would tank what’s left of the economy.
The Erasure of Women and the Salary Ban
If you’re a woman in Afghanistan right now, the situation is beyond "difficult." It’s systemic.
👉 See also: Trump Declared War on Chicago: What Really Happened and Why It Matters
The biggest update this week? The Taliban officially stopped paying salaries to female government employees. These were women who had been told to stay home since 2021 but were kept on the payroll as a sort of "placeholder." Now, that’s over.
"Even though the salary was small, it allowed us to meet basic needs," one former employee told Amu TV. "Without it, our situation becomes very difficult."
It’s not just the money. It’s the medical field too.
Back in December, a directive came out banning women from attending medical institutes. We’re already seeing the results. Women aren't allowed to be treated by male doctors in many places, but now there’s no one training to be the next generation of female nurses or midwives.
It’s a death sentence for maternal health.
Is There Any Resistance?
People ask if the National Resistance Front (NRF) or other groups are making a move.
✨ Don't miss: The Whip Inflation Now Button: Why This Odd 1974 Campaign Still Matters Today
The short answer: Sorta.
The NRF is still active in places like Panjshir and the northern provinces. They’re reporting more recruitment because people are just... done. When you have nothing left to lose, joining a resistance group starts to look like an option. But let’s be real—the Taliban still has a massive military advantage. The resistance is persistent, but they aren't marching on Kabul tomorrow.
The Reality Check: What Happens Next?
If you're looking for a silver lining, it's hard to find one in the latest news in Afghanistan now. However, understanding the nuance helps.
The international community is in "crisis management mode," but they’re also tired. This is what experts call "donor fatigue." But if the $1.7 billion the UN is asking for doesn't show up, 2026 is going to be the year the humanitarian system in Afghanistan finally snaps.
What can actually be done?
- Targeted Aid: Organizations like UNICEF and the IRC are still on the ground. They are shifting to "Cash for Food" programs because it’s faster and keeps local markets alive.
- Diplomatic Pressure: Countries like India are starting to engage more with Taliban-appointed diplomats (like the new role in New Delhi) to try and find some middle ground, even if they don't "officially" recognize the regime.
- Support for Refugees: The situation for Afghans in Pakistan remains incredibly shaky. Supporting NGOs that provide legal aid to those facing deportation is one of the few ways to help from the outside.
The bottom line is that Afghanistan isn't a "forgotten war" anymore—it's a forgotten country. The people living there are stuck between a leadership that’s fighting with itself and a world that’s looking the other way.
If you want to help, look into the Afghanistan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan 2026. It's the most direct way to see where the money is actually going and which provinces—like Bamiyan, Kunar, and Herat—are currently the most desperate for intervention.
Stay informed, because the situation is moving fast, and the next few months of winter will determine how many people make it to the spring.