Donors urged to fund UN appeal to aid Afghans hit by food crisis, drought

The top United Nations envoy to Afghanistan has called for the urgent funding of the $404 million food aid appeal launched last month to assist 4.5 million people who are struggling due to high food prices, poor harvests and drought, stressing the need to act quickly given that the onset of winter is just a few months away.

Speaking to reporters in Kabul, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Kai Eide, appealed to donors to commit resources as soon as possible.

“We can reduce the impact of the problems we are facing if donors react quickly,” stated Mr. Eide, who is also head of the UN Assistance Mission for Afghanistan (UNAMA). “And the sooner donors react the more suffering we will be able to prevent; as you know winter is only a few months away and we need to act quickly, all of us.”

The 12-month appeal aims to ensure food aid for 450,000 urban and rural households that have been hit hardest by the surge in the prices of staples such as wheat, which have increased by 50 to 100 per cent in some parts of the country.

The appeal will also provide 300,000 farming families with vital livestock and agricultural assistance, and 550,000 women and children with help to protect them from malnutrition. In addition, the funds will be used to provide safe drinking water, promote good hygiene in drought-affected communities and improve disease control.

Mr. Eide also highlighted the increased threats faced by those assisting the Afghan people, including the rising number of attacks on food aid convoys.

Between January and June of this year, there were 12 armed attacks against vehicles carrying aid from the UN World Food Programme (WFP), resulting in the loss of some 466 tons of food, valued at over $300,000.

The latest incident occurred late last month when a convoy of 49 trucks that were transporting WFP food aid from Kandahar to Herat was attacked by unidentified gunmen in the western province of Farah. More than 320 metric tons of food, enough for around 38,400 Afghans for one month, was looted in the attack.

Susana Rico, WFP’s Country Representative in Afghanistan, joined Mr. Eide in calling for an end to such attacks which only serve to worsen the plight of those already suffering.

“We appeal to the broader community to help us provide the secure environment that we need to provide the assistance that is required,” she said.