Kabul, Jan 8 (IANS): Amidst the ongoing humanitarian crisis and an economic fallout in Afghanistan, the World Food Program (WFP) has once again expressed concerns over the ongoing situation in the war-torn nation and said that they need up to $2.6 billion to feed the vulnerable people, the media reported.

Speaking to a radio outlet, WFP spokesperson for Afghanistan Shelley Thakral said that the Afghan people have survived acute hunger in the past, but the poverty and starvation this time is concerning, reports Khaama Press.

Thakral said that the worst drought in decades, a spike in food prices, and the Taliban's takeover that triggered the economic fallout were the reasons why up to 23 million people of Afghanistan are currently starving.

"Hundreds of thousands of people especially teachers and construction workers who have been laid off after political transformation are experiencing food shortage and insecurity of food for the first time," the spokesperson said, adding that there was "new urban class of hungry people".

The spokesperson said that people have run out of vegetables, meat, and dairy at a time when malnutrition is on the rise.

She further added that some people were resorting to selling personal items in order to feed family members and get firewood to warm their homes.

According to WFP figures, 22.8 million Afghans have been identified as acutely food insecure, including hundreds of thousands who have been displaced by conflict in 2021.

Undernutrition rates were also increasing and 2 million children are malnourished.