According to a September 13th Reuters report, the U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is attempting to raise $606 million for hunger relief in Afghanistan.  The Secretary-General stated that food supplies could run out by the end of September resulting in 14 million facing starvation.  With the Taliban take-over, aid flows from western nations and the U.S. have ceased, leaving the nation vulnerable to famine.

Michelle Bachelet, U.N. Human Rights Administrator noted, "a lack of enthusiasm among western nations to donate to Afghanistan based on the policies of the new Taliban Administration over the past four weeks".  The U.S. has pledged $64 million for humanitarian assistance and with Norway pledging an additional $12 million. Attempting to capitalize on the situation, Chen Xu, Ambassador to the United Nations from the Peoples Republic of China stated, "the U.S. and its allies have an obligation to extend economic humanitarian and livelihood assistance".

Apart from social disruption caused by political disturbance, drought has destroyed 40 percent of the 2021 wheat crop in Afghanistan and most people have inadequate funds to buy cooking oil and other necessities.  Progress made in eradicating polio and vaccinating against COVID will obviously be reversed given political instability and reversion to an 18th Century theocracy.