Food crisis in Afghanistan: FAO calls for emergency funds

FAO’s wake-up call for Afghanistan. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that four million people face a “food emergency.” They are mostly found in rural areas many of whom are suffering from severe drought.

The pandemic and the fighting with the Taliban have also made matters worse. “14 million Afghans find themselves in what we call food crisis situations. Among them, 4 million are considered by the FAO as in an emergency situation.

There are extreme gaps in food consumption, very high levels of acute malnutrition and excess mortality“says Rein Paulsen, FAO’s director of emergency operations.

The FAO is asking for 36 million dollars to deal with the winter. This includes ensuring the wheat sowing season. The stake according to the organization is to keep the farmers in their fields and the breeders with their herds in order to avoid new displacements of population.