Afghanistan: 12.2 million people acutely food insecure, says UN

The United Nations Humanitarians on August 19, 2021, stated that the relief crisis in Afghanistan is deteriorating rapidly, with 12.2 million people acutely food insecure.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said 7,35,000 individuals returned to Afghanistan this year from Pakistan, Iran, and other countries and they are in dire need of humanitarian aid.

The report comes in at a point when thousands of people are attempting to leave Afghanistan due to the Taliban takeover.

Humanitarian needs to deteriorate further in Afghanistan: UN

•As per the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) on Afghanistan, half of the population including more than nearly 10 million children and over 4 million women already needed humanitarian assistance at the beginning of 2021.

•In the second half of the year, humanitarian needs in Afghanistan are expected to deteriorate further due to drought. “Some 12.2 million people are already acutely food insecure and the majority of those will be further affected by drought,” the OCHA.

•Afghanistan’s Humanitarian Response Plan requiring $1.3 billion is only 37 per cent funded, with more than half a year gone by.

•The surge in displacement has urgently raised the need for funding for relief items and emergency shelter but only 4 per cent of the required funds have been received.

Severe acute malnutrition increased by 16 per cent

•The OCHA further stated that severe acute malnutrition has increased by 16 per cent that has impacted 9,00,000 people while moderate acute malnutrition has increased by 11 per cent that has impacted 3.1 million children.

•The livestock yield is forecasted to be weak due to poor feed and pastures availability. Below-harvest wheat is also expected.

•Drought and conflict in the region have reduced agricultural activities by 28 per cent.

•Prices for food commodities continue to rise. Conflict-related movement restrictions are causing temporary inflationary effects thus affecting the prices of staples.

•Cooking oil, sugar, rice, and wheat prices have increased by more than 50 per cent compared to pre-COVID-19 prices. The monthly increase in prices in 2021 has been estimated between 1 to 4 per cent.