WFP chief arrives at Afghanistan to help nation avert 'world’s worst humanitarian crisis'

The World Food Program's (WFP) head, David Beasley, is currently in Afghanistan, racing against the clock to deliver emergency aid to hundreds of thousands of people. WFP head, Beasly, on Thursday, announced his arrival in Afghanistan, in a video message posted on Twitter. The caption of the shared video read, "We’re here in #Afghanistan where the world’s worst humanitarian crisis is unfolding. @WFP is scaling up ops and making sure humanitarians & supplies reach those in need. We’re ready to do even more. BUT, we urgently need $230M per month to reach 22M+ people w/ life-saving food."

He stated that the WFP is expanding operations and ensuring that humanitarian aid and supplies reach those in need.
Beasley said from Kabul airport that flights carrying aid and aid workers were being dispatched to other parts of the country, including Kandahar. In a subsequent tweet, he can be seen in a Kandahar hospital explaining the 'heartbreaking situation' and pleading for international help. He mentioned, "#Afghanistan: I'm here at a children's ward in a hospital in #Kandahar. These babies did nothing to deserve this. Yet, they're struggling to survive. What's heartbreaking is that this situation is completely avoidable. There's a cure for hunger, it's called FOOD."

More than half of Afghanistan is suffering from Famine

According to UN agencies, as many as 22.8 million people, i.e, more than half of Afghanistan's 39 million worth of population, are suffering from acute food insecurity, up from 14 million just two months ago. According to a recent report from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Program, more than half of Afghanistan's population will face high levels of "acute food insecurity" from November to March. According to the report, the acute food insecurity is expected to last until the post-harvest lean season, when harsh winter weather threatens to cut off areas of the country where families desperately rely on humanitarian assistance to survive the freezing winter months.

Reportedly, this winter would have been difficult for Afghans whether the Taliban had seized power in August or not. Afghanistan experienced its second drought in four years in 2021, wreaking havoc on agriculture and livestock. This alone would have been enough to cause a humanitarian crisis. The Taliban's return to power, as well as the ensuing flight, displacement, and withdrawal of foreign aid organisations, has only exacerbated the situation.

Image: AP