The World Food Programme (WFP) has announced that it has been forced to drastically reduce critical lifesaving assistance in Afghanistan to millions of vulnerable people due to lack of funds. In March, at least four million Afghanis will receive just half of what they need to get by.
The development comes at the most difficult time of the year for rural families, as food stocks have run out before the next harvest and already vulnerable Afghans are just emerging out of yet another freezing winter. The UN agency warned that Afghanistan is at the highest risk of famine in a quarter of a century and one in two families is in crisis-coping mode in order to survive.
WFP urgently needs $93 million to assist 13 million people in April and $800 million for the next six months.
Nearly 20 million people in Afghanistan face acute hunger, including more than 6 million people in emergency levels of food insecurity. 4 million people are acutely malnourished, including 3.2 million children under the age of five.
According to the WFP, malnutrition in Afghanistan has reached the highest levels since records have been kept, and the country continues to face the highest prevalence of insufficient food consumption globally.
Afghanistan remains in the grips of one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Millions in the country are experiencing misery and hunger amid decades of conflict. The cumulative effects of violent conflict, internal displacement, drought and other natural disasters have drastically increased humanitarian needs throughout Afghanistan.
28.3 million people - two-thirds of the country’s population - require humanitarian assistance in 2023, an increase of 16 % compared to the previous year. Among those in need are 15.3 million boys and girls. For 2023, the United Nations and humanitarian partner organizations have launched an appeal of 4.62 billion US Dollar to ease the plight of millions of people affected by the humanitarian crisis in the country.
The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization. The UN agency, awarded the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize, is saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to support people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change. The World Food Programme works in over 120 countries and territories. For millions of people worldwide, WFP assistance can make the difference between life and death.
Donate now to the World Food Program to help send life-saving food.
https://donate.wfp.org/1243/donation/regular/?campaign=1515