United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has said that Afghanistan is becoming the world’s largest humanitarian crisis and timely measures are needed to avert the catastrophe.

"We are in a race against time to deliver life-saving aid and pre-position supplies ahead of winter," Guterres tweeted on Tuesday.

"I urge the world to take action & fund our efforts in support of the most vulnerable."

Guterres also shared a UN assessment report on Afghanistan which stated that the lives, livelihoods, and access to food for 22.8 million people in the country will be severely impacted.

The report highlighted that more than one-in-two Afghans will face Phase 3 crisis or Phase 4 emergency levels of acute food insecurity from November through the March lean season, requiring an urgent international response to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe.

Aid to Afghanistan: PM asks UN to mobilise world

"This is the highest number of acutely food insecure people ever recorded by the UN, during 10 years of conducting Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analyses in Afghanistan," the report said.

The report revealed a 37 percent surge in the number of Afghans facing acute hunger since its last assessment in April. Among those at risk are 3.2 million children under five, who are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition by the end of the year, it mentioned.

Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan said that Afghanistan is passing through a critical phase and urged the UN Secretary-General to mobilise the world to provide support as Afghanistan needs humanitarian assistance.

US has to recognise Afghan reality ‘sooner or later’: PM

He stated that if the international community neglects Afghanistan, its people will go below the poverty line. The premier also urged the world leaders to engage with the new Taliban set up in Afghanistan for peace and prosperity in the region.