UN urges Canada and its allies to address Afghanistan’s hunger crisis

The United Nations forecasts dire hunger for more than half of Afghanistan’s population in the coming months, unless Canada and its Western allies step up with increased financial support.

Monday’s joint report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Food Program says 22.8 million Afghans will face acute hunger in the coming months, the highest level of need ever seen. in a decade. to cover a shortfall of funds so that it can deliver food aid.

The UN call for more funding comes as financial resources appear to be running low to keep safe houses open in Kabul to protect and feed some 1,700 Afghans who are approved to come to Canada but remain trapped in the country. controlled by the Taliban.

Many of those Afghans and their families face retaliation from the Taliban for helping Canada, the United States and their NATO allies by working as interpreters.

The federal government has pledged to resettle 40,000 Afghan refugees, including those from vulnerable groups who have already left the country. A spokeswoman for the WFP in Canada says those who remain in the country cannot be forgotten.

“Afghanistan is fast becoming the world’s greatest humanitarian crisis,” said spokeswoman Julie Marshall.

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“Before families are forced to choose between migration and starvation, WFP needs rapid and flexible funding to continue our life-saving response in Afghanistan. Canada has always responded generously to WFP, but now more than ever. we need all international donors to deliver on their promises in funding immediately. “

Afghanistan’s economy collapsed alongside its Western-backed government as the Taliban defeated rural towns and villages before marching unhindered to the capital Kabul in mid-August.

The progressive Taliban offensive forced Afghans to flee the countryside en masse and seek refuge in cities, creating massive food insecurity not often seen in urban areas of the country.

Marshall said WFP has provided food, cash and nutrition assistance to 10.3 million people since the beginning of this year. That has included treating malnutrition for nearly 400,000 pregnant and lactating women, and for 790,000 children under the age of five.

Last month, the UN launched an urgent appeal for money to support development and humanitarian assistance, pledging pledges totaling nearly $ 750 million, but only 45 percent of that amount has been delivered so far.

“Hunger is increasing and children are dying. We cannot feed people promises; funding commitments must be turned into cash, and the international community must come together to address this crisis, which is rapidly spiraling out of control.” David said. Beasley, Executive Director of WFP.

Monday’s report showed a 37 percent increase in Afghans facing acute hunger since the last detailed UN assessment in April. It says 3.2 million children under the age of five will suffer from acute malnutrition by the end of the year, while one million children are at risk of dying with immediate life-saving treatment.

Save the Children said Monday that new UN data shows that of the 22.8 million Afghans considered at risk, 14 million are children. The organization noted that Canada pledged an additional $ 50 million in humanitarian aid in late August, but said Monday that more “life-saving support” is desperately needed.

A spokesperson for International Development Minister Karina Gould said on Monday that Canada’s $ 50 million contribution was in addition to the $ 27.3 million allocated to Afghanistan earlier this year, but did not say whether it would receive more funding.

“It seems that the agony of Afghan children is endless. After decades of war and suffering, they now face the worst hunger crisis in their country’s history,” said Chris Nyamandi, Save the Children’s Country Director for Afghanistan.

“The situation is already desperate. We see young children in our clinics every day who are exhausted from severe malnutrition because they have nothing but pieces of bread to eat,” he added.

“We will continue to do everything we can to provide them with the life-saving services they need, but for relief efforts to continue, we urgently need governments to step up aid to the country.”

This Canadian Press report was first published on October 25, 2021.