15 millions Afghans receive WFP food assistance so far in 2021; massive uplift needed as economy disintegrates
WFP has also been able to preposition food in strategic locations across the northeast and central highlands of the country where heavy winter snows can cut off communities from assistance. This will ensure that WFP can provide a lifeline to areas that would otherwise be cut off.
“Afghanistan is facing an avalanche of hunger and destitution the likes of which I have never seen in my twenty plus years with the World Food Programme,” said Mary-Ellen McGroarty, WFP Country Director in Afghanistan.
“I’m proud of what we’ve been able to achieve so far, but the needs are enormous, and we have a huge amount to do to stop this crisis from becoming a catastrophe. We urgently need US$ 220 million a month in 2022 to assist 23 million Afghans,” she warned.
According to the latest WFP phone surveys, an estimated 98 percent of Afghans are not consuming enough food – a worrisome 17 percent rise since August. The spiraling economic crisis, conflict and drought has meant the average family can now barely cope.
Families are resorting to desperate measures as the bitter winter sets in; nine in every ten households are now buying less expensive food, eight in ten are eating less, and seven in ten are borrowing food to get by.
- In November, WFP assisted more than 7 million people, dispatching over 50,000 mt of food - almost double the dispatches in September. In 2021 WFP has dispatched more than 200,000 mt of food.
- WFP has increased its storage capacity by 40 percent (to 88,000 mt) since August.
- In 2021 so far, WFP has assisted more than 15 million people across all 34 provinces in the country. In 2022 WFP will provide food and cash assistance for 23 million people in every province
- The WFP-managed United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) is providing a regional air bridge linking Pakistan and Tajikistan to Kabul, and domestic services across the country to transport humanitarian responders to the frontlines of the crisis. UNHAS has operated 2,497 flights in 2021, serving 13,577 passengers from 153 humanitarian organisations.
- WFP is working to provide nutrition treatment and malnutrition prevention for 1.6 million children, and pregnant and breastfeeding women.
- WFP is working to provide school meals, take-home rations and cash transfers for 1 million children across the country.
- WFP is working to provide training in vocational skills and environmental management for 1.1 million people.
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