On Monday, World Food Programme (WFP) Director David Beasley warned that millions of Afghans, including children, could die of starvation unless urgent action is taken to pull this country back from the brink of collapse.
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“In the last two months, the number of Afghans who face acute food insecurity has as raised by 8,8 million,” Beasley pointed out, recalling that urban communities are facing food insecurity on levels similar to rural areas for the first time in this country.
Since August, Afghanistan has plunged into political and social crisis for the Taliban’s seizure of power, which prompted donors to hold back billions of dollars in assistance for this country’s economy as nations grapple with how to deal with the hardline Islamists.
Food scarcity has been also exacerbated by climate change, which has increased Afghanistan's average annual temperature by 1,8C for the last 70 years. "What we predicted came true much faster than we anticipated," Beasley stated, recalling that many Afghans are selling possessions to buy food.
To counter this, WFP suggested that the international community use funds destined for development assistance for humanitarian aid or channel frozen funds through this UN agency.
“Humanitarian issues should not be politicized,” Beasley insisted, recalling that the WFP tapped its resources to help cover food aid through to December after some donors failed to meet pledges.
"I do not think that world leaders realize what the real situation in Afghanistan is," he said, adding that funds may have to be redirected from aid efforts in other countries if necessary since human lives are in danger.