Food, job insecurity now primary concerns in Afghanistan: UN
World Food Program (WFP) deputy regional director Anthea Webb told a UN press briefing that food and job insecurity is now the primary cause of concern for families in Afghanistan. He said through a conference call on Friday that as winter is knocking and the economy is on the verge of collapse, his concerns are also increasing.
Citing the latest WFP survey, he said that 93 percent of households in Afghanistan no longer have enough food, Xinhua news agency reported.
A random phone survey conducted from August 21 to September 5 across all provinces in the country showed that three out of four Afghan households are reducing their portions or borrowing food.
“They’re buying cheaper food by skipping more nutritious options like meat, dairy products and vegetables. Parents are skipping meals altogether to allow their kids to eat them,” Webb said.
He said food insecurity in Afghanistan had already become widespread as of August 15, with 81 percent of households reporting inadequate food consumption, with one in three Afghans indicating acute food insecurity.
“It’s now a race to provide life-saving aid to the Afghan people before the snow can cut roads,” the UN official said.
She told reporters that the main reason the situation had gotten so bad over the past month was that many Afghans did not have the money they needed to buy enough food.
Afghanistan has also experienced a drought this year, causing a 40 percent drop in domestic food production.
Due to this the prices of food items are skyrocketing.
Wheat prices have increased by 25 per cent while many essential ration items have to be imported and purchased at higher rates.
Currently in Afghanistan, half the population, 18 million people, need humanitarian aid to survive.
A third have no idea where their next meal is coming from. More than half of all children under the age of 5 are at risk of acute malnutrition.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has announced that he will travel to Geneva on September 13 to convene a high-level humanitarian meeting to address growing needs in Afghanistan.
(with IANS inputs)
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