Kabul, 25 October 2021 (TDI): UN World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that millions of Afghans will face starvation this winter unless urgent action is taken. According to the report, more than half the population – about 22.8 million people – face acute food insecurity. The report also stated that 3.2 million children under five could suffer acute malnutrition.
The Executive Director of the WFP, David Beasley mentioned that Afghanistan is now among the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Afghanistan fell to the Taliban in August after the US pulled out its troops across the country. Afghanistan was heavily dependent on foreign aid. Western powers suspended aid. The World Bank and International Monetary Fund also halted payments. The takeover weakened an already fragile economy. The new Taliban administration has been blocked from accessing overseas assets. The wages to civil servants and other workers have been withheld.
The WFP warned that the looming winter threatened to further isolate Afghans dependent on humanitarian assistance to survive. Moreover, for the first time urban residents in Afghanistan are suffering from food insecurity at similar rates to rural communities.
