UN's World Food Programme in need of $2.6 billion to provide food to Afghanistan citizens

Ever since the Taliban takeover, the United Nations agencies have raised concern over the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. In the latest development, the World Food Programme (WFP) has announced that it would be needing $2.6 billion to provide food to Afghan citizens. The WFP spokesperson for Afghanistan Shelley Thakral has expressed concern over the poverty and starvation in the war-ravaged nation. 

Expressing concern over the situation in Afghanistan, Shelley Thakral insisted that nearly 23 million Afghans have been starving due to drought. Furthermore, she noted the surge in food prices and the political situation in the country. The WFP spokesperson added that thousands of Afghan nationals, particularly the teachers and construction workers who have lost their jobs, have been facing food shortage and insecurity of food for the first time, reported ANI, citing Khaama Press. She insisted that people have been running out of foodstuff including meat, vegetables, and dairy. Thakral added that the people are forced to sell their houses in order to feed their families.

WFP requires $220 Million per month to feed 23 million Afghans

On December 15, the World Food Programme (WFP) announced that it would be requiring $220 million each month to feed nearly 23 million Afghans. The United Nations' WFP is ramping up its humanitarian operations in the war-torn nation to aid more people experiencing acute famine by 2022. As per the news release by WFP, the agency has supported 15 million people, including seven million in November alone, up from four million in September. WFP Country Director in Afghanistan Mary-Ellen McGroarty, in the news release, expressed concern over the hunger and destitution in Afghanistan. McGroarty further said that a lot of work has to be done to prevent this crisis from becoming a catastrophe and insisted she is happy with what they have achieved so far. In November, WFP helped more than seven million people, dispatching over 50,000 metric tonnes of food. The WFP in 2021 has sent more than 200,000 metric tonnes of food to Afghanistan. 

“Afghanistan is facing an avalanche of hunger and destitution the likes of which I have never seen in my twenty plus years with the World Food Programme,” said Mary-Ellen McGroarty in the news release.

(With inputs from ANI)

Image: AP