Amid humanitarian crisis, World Food Program deputy director calls for urgent funding in Afghanistan
Sep 14, 2023
Kabul [Afghanistan], September 14 : Aiming to prevent a winter catastrophe in Afghanistan, UN World Food Program (WFP) Deputy Executive Director Carl Skau will be appealing for funding on an urgent basis during a Brussels meeting, Khaama Press reported on Thursday.
during a Brussels meeting on Thursday focused on Afghanistan. The aim is to prevent a potential winter catastrophe in the country.
Before the EU Commission-hosted meeting, Skau said, “I’m in Brussels for a senior official meeting on Afghanistan, along with partners and donors, generously hosted by the European Commission.”
The purpose of the meeting is to devise a plan and strategy to support the Afghan population during the upcoming winter, as outlined by Skau. Due to financial constraints in recent months, WFP has been compelled to reduce its vital aid efforts in Afghanistan.
“The operating environment is challenging, but we can deliver in a principled and effective way. So my message to donors today is that we need more assistance and money to assist Afghanistan through the winter, Khaama Press quoted Skau as saying.
He added, “But we also need to work in a new way. We need to work with Nexus. He said that we need to have sustainable solutions and bring in the development actors working with communities”.
Meanwhile, the World Food Programme (WFP) declared that USD 1 billion is needed to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan, Khaama Press reported.
According to the WFP, 10 million Afghans have been denied humanitarian aid this year.
Additionally, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has also cautioned in its latest report about reducing and ceasing essential health services in Afghanistan due to budget limitations.
The WFP needs USD 1 billion to aid 21 million people, while more than 20 million Afghans face the risk of starvation.
Several humanitarian groups warn of funding cuts and a deepening crisis in Afghanistan as poverty and hunger worsen. Only USD 1 billion of the needed USD 3.23 billion for humanitarian aid has been received, according to Khaama Press.
Afghanistan, heavily dependent on Western donor support, lost this assistance when the Taliban took over after the US and NATO withdrawal in August 2021. This led to a rapid economic collapse, pushing self-sufficient Afghans to rely on humanitarian aid for survival.
