In a stark illustration of how fragile food security and humanitarian aid have become in 2025, recent events in both Illinois and Afghanistan have spotlighted the urgent need for support among the world’s most vulnerable populations. While Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs has taken decisive action to return $100,000 in unclaimed funds to struggling food pantries across the state, the World Food Programme (WFP) warns that Afghanistan is facing a sharp escalation in malnutrition and food insecurity, with millions at risk as winter tightens its grip.
Each December, the Illinois Treasurer’s Office makes a concerted effort through its ICash program to return missing money to nonprofit groups aiding those in need. This year, Treasurer Frerichs focused on food pantries, recognizing the extraordinary strain they faced after a federal government shutdown in November abruptly halted food assistance for many Illinois families. According to Frerichs, “Food pantries always step up to feed people in need. It’s been a challenging year with federal cutbacks to food banks earlier in the year. The Trump administration opting to cut off food assistance to our state’s neediest folks last month was a double whammy. We wanted to see if we could help, when our local food pantries put meals on the table for millions of Illinoisans.”
On December 18, Frerichs visited the 4 K.I.D.S. Sake food pantry in Bolingbrook, returning $5,500 to the nonprofit. This organization, founded in 2012 by Theresa Watson, has helped more than 10,000 children and operates both a food pantry and a resale shop. The past year has been especially tough for 4 K.I.D.S. Sake, as thieves twice stole catalytic converters from their donation trucks, most recently in November. “This money will help as we try to meet the needs of families during the holiday season,” Watson said. “We pick up six days a week. Our trucks are critical to serving families. These thefts have been devastating, but we’re strong and resilient.”
The funds returned to 4 K.I.D.S. Sake originated from a health insurance company and had been held as unclaimed property. Frerichs, joined by Bolingbrook Mayor Mary Alexander-Basta, State Sen. Meg Loughran-Cappel, and State Reps. Natalie Manley and Dagmara Avelar, emphasized the importance of supporting organizations that serve as lifelines for their communities. “What those thieves did to 4 K.I.D.S. Sake’s trucks is unconscionable. This group does so much to help people, and we are happy to be able to do something to help them, especially at such an important time of year,” Frerichs remarked.
Illinois’ unclaimed property program—one of the state’s oldest consumer protection initiatives—has returned more than $2.4 billion since Frerichs took office, the most in state history. The ICash program, which holds over $5 billion in unclaimed property, is a vital tool for returning forgotten assets such as safe deposit box contents, unpaid life insurance benefits, and unused rebate cards to their rightful owners or heirs. In December 2025 alone, 86 food pantries across Illinois received much-needed funds, with organizations in counties from Boone to Williamson benefiting from the initiative.
While Illinois food pantries receive a lifeline, the situation in Afghanistan is growing increasingly dire. On December 22, the World Food Programme reported a surge in malnutrition among women and children, with more and more people seeking treatment at health centers every day. The WFP, in cooperation with partner organizations, has provided nutritional assistance to thousands of malnourished women and children, but the scale of the crisis continues to grow. Afghanistan now ranks fourth globally for acute child malnutrition, with about five million mothers and children affected as of late 2025.
The numbers are staggering: more than 17 million Afghans face severe food insecurity as winter approaches, a crisis closely linked to rising levels of acute malnutrition. According to WFP data, hunger has increased compared to last year, with an additional three million Afghans now at risk of acute hunger. The agency’s deputy director revealed that WFP support funding has plummeted by about 80 percent this year, severely hampering relief efforts. In a post on X, the WFP thanked donors for their support and emphasized that continued assistance is vital for ensuring a healthy future for Afghan mothers and children.
The humanitarian crisis is compounded by the dangers faced by Afghans seeking refuge abroad. On December 19, at least 15 Afghan migrants died on Iranian soil during a severe cold wave as they attempted to cross the border. Some reports suggest the death toll could be even higher. Iranian authorities, according to Mehr News Agency, rescued over 2,100 Afghans trapped in remote border areas, many suffering from cold exposure and frostbite, before handing them over to the Taliban. The perilous journey is driven by rising poverty, unemployment, and worsening food insecurity in Afghanistan, exacerbated by drought and a sharp decline in international aid.
Meanwhile, the Taliban’s rule has continued to draw international condemnation for human rights abuses. Between August 1 and October 31, the Taliban flogged at least 215 people—including 44 women and 171 men—across Afghanistan, according to a United Nations report. Human rights groups have decried public corporal punishment and torture of detainees as violations of human dignity and international law, but the Taliban maintain that they are enforcing Islamic sharia.
In the United States, the policy response to Afghan migration has grown more restrictive. Following a shooting incident in Washington involving a former Afghan soldier, Abdulrahman Lakanwal, who was relocated to the U.S. under Operation Allies Welcome, the Trump administration suspended immigration applications from Afghanistan and several other countries in December 2025. The Bush Center, in a statement, criticized the administration’s move, saying, “Turning away Afghans who assisted the United States runs counter to American values.” The center stressed that the shooter alone is responsible for his actions and that others should not be punished as a result.
The policy shift has sown fear among Afghan migrants already living in the United States. Immigration lawyers and refugee advocates in California’s Sacramento area, home to one of the largest Afghan communities in the country, have reported an uptick in detentions and the cancellation of asylum-related interviews. The Associated Press reported that since November 26, at least 24 Afghan migrants—mostly in Northern California—have been detained, with at least nine men taken into custody during routine case-status checks in the past week alone. Earlier, 61 members of Congress criticized the administration’s actions, accusing officials of exploiting the attack and collectively punishing Afghan migrants.
Back in Afghanistan, Taliban officials have sought to project an image of unity and self-sufficiency. Haqqani, a senior Taliban official, recently declared, “Unity and cohesion are not created by individuals alone. They are achieved through full commitment and loyalty to the leadership, and through sincerity.” He also acknowledged the country’s war-ravaged state but insisted that Afghanistan is becoming increasingly self-sufficient and “dependent on no one.”
Amid these overlapping crises, the stories from Illinois and Afghanistan serve as a reminder of the profound impact of both local and global humanitarian efforts—and the consequences when those efforts fall short. As winter deepens and political winds shift, the need for compassion and sustained support has rarely been clearer.
