Afghanistan could face new hunger crisis if new funds are not pledged, UN warns

Malnutrition and even starvation could break out in Afghanistan if new funds are not pledged for efforts to bring relief to the country, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned today, appealing for urgent aid to help millions of extremely poor Afghans.

"The period from now until the [July] harvest will be the harshest time of the year for millions of Afghans whose meagre food stocks from the bad harvest of last year have depleted," said Burke Oberle, WFP Country Director for Afghanistan.

Some 9 million Afghans - or about 40 per cent of the population - will need 275,000 tons of food aid in the coming months. Taking into account the stocks and pledges it has received so far, WFP said it would still face a "staggering" shortage of 75,000 tons of food, worth $28 million.

A break in the food pipeline would bring WFP food distribution operations "to an almost complete stop in the month of June, just when millions of poor Afghans are struggling with the most difficult pre-harvest time known as the 'lean months,'" said Mr. Oberle. "Unless we get additional cash immediately, we could see malnutrition with the risk of starvation rising especially in the highlands."