‘41M People in Afghanistan Face Severe Acute Food Insecurity’

The World Food Programme (WFP) of the United Nations has issued a warning that Afghanistan is one of the 10 nations where approximately two million people are suffering from severe food insecurity, and emphasises that at least 41 million people in Afghanistan face severe acute food insecurity at an alarming level there, Khaama Press reported.According to a statement released by the group on Saturday, Afghanistan is one of the 10 nations where 19.9 million people lack access to adequate food.Nearly 70 per cent of people who need food immediately live in nations including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Sudan, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Yemen, Bangladesh, Pakistan, South Sudan, and Somalia, according to the organization’s study, Khaama Press reported.The World Food Programme emphasised that an alarming degree of severe acute food insecurity affects 41 million people in Afghanistan. Prior to this, a number of international assistance organisations have voiced worries about budgetary constraints for helping those in need in Afghanistan.Additionally, the head of the World Food Programme, David Beasley, had issued a warning that activities will be suspended in Afghanistan after October because of a shortage of funding, Khaama Press reported.The Asian Development Bank has committed to giving Afghanistan USD 400 million in aid, with an emphasis on empowering women. This huge investment emphasises how crucial it is to support the nation’s most vulnerable communities during these trying times.The United Nations will oversee the administration of this assistance. It will primarily address current food shortages, increase regional food production for long-term food security, and make sure that the Afghan people have access to basic healthcare services.Notably, it is due to the effects of climate change, such as droughts, floods, and earthquakes, Afghanistan is currently experiencing an unparalleled humanitarian catastrophe.Women and children are particularly affected by poverty, which affects around 85 per cent of the population. According to the report, families headed by women are especially at risk for food shortages and limited access to essential services because of mobility issues, reported Khaama Press.

Three UN organisations will receive off-budget direct money as part of the Expanding Essential Food Security and Health Services Project, also known as Support for Afghan People, to meet their urgent financial requirements for immediate assistance in Afghanistan.The World Food Programme (WFP) will receive a grant of USD100 million to address food security. More than 1.32 million people who are severely food insecure will benefit from this assistance, with a special emphasis on families headed by women and extremely vulnerable groups.

Additionally, WFP will undertake Food Assistance for Training programmes to equip mostly women with marketable skills and business possibilities in agricultural areas including fruit and vegetable processing, supporting sustainable income and livelihoods for women, Khaama Press reported.Afghanistan, a country heavily reliant on aid, lost Western donor support with the Taliban’s return to power following the US and NATO pullout in August 2021. (ANI)The Afghan economy swiftly collapsed, forcing self-sufficient Afghans to seek humanitarian aid to survive. Because of widespread human rights violations, the Taliban’s regime has been under international isolation.Notably, with the resurgence of the Taliban in August 2021 in Afghanistan, the country’s educational system has suffered a significant setback. As a result, girls have been deprived of access to education, and seminaries or religious schools have gradually filled the void left by schools and universities. (ANI)

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