UN food relief agency condemns looting of trucks in Afghanistan

The United Nations agency for food relief today condemned a rash of armed attacks against its transports in Afghanistan that have resulted in the loss of more than 500 tonnes of food, valued at over $350,000, and worsened hardships for the poor.

“Attacks and lootings are delaying shipments and increasing the cost of delivering food aid to the west and southwest of the country, including to Afghans recently deported from Iran,” said Rick Corsino, country representative for the World Food Programme (WFP), which is working with the authorities to step up security measures.

With the attacks increasing and two of them resulting in the death of a crew member, transporters have become more and more reluctant to carry food on dangerous routes until they receive assurances of better security, the agency said.

While the Afghan Government has expressed its willingness to improve security, the long, sparsely populated stretches of road make this hard to carry out.

“Those carrying out the attacks should be held accountable, if not by law, then at least by those communities for whom they are depriving food,” Mr. Corsino said. “Whatever their motives, they are contributing to the already considerable hardship of the poorest Afghans who need assistance more than ever.”

In addition to WFP’s efforts to work with local authorities to increase security, aid recipients are becoming more actively engaged in securing the food shipments, especially in those areas largely inaccessible to humanitarian workers.