World Food Programme warns of budget shortfall in Afghanistan

Many humanitarian organisations have warned of funding cuts and a developing humanitarian disaster in Afghanistan as poverty and hunger worsen.

Kabul (Afghanistan): The World Food Programme (WFP) has stated that one billion dollars are required to avert a humanitarian disaster in Afghanistan, Khaama Press reported. The organisation also stated that it can provide food assistance to one in every ten Afghan citizens in need. Through a statement on its social media site X on Wednesday, the organisation once again warned about the budget gap in Afghanistan.

According to the World Food Programme, 10 million Afghans have been deprived of humanitarian assistance this year, reported Khaama Press. Furthermore, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned in its most recent report about the decline and discontinuance of health services for those in need in Afghanistan due to budget constraints.

It is worth mentioning that the World Food Programme earlier indicated that it needs one billion dollars to assist 21 million people, and over 20 million Afghans are at risk of starvation. Many humanitarian organisations have warned of funding cuts and a developing humanitarian disaster in Afghanistan as poverty and hunger worsen.

Only around USD 1 billion of the required USD 3.23 billion for humanitarian help has been given thus far, Khaama Press reported. Afghanistan, a country heavily reliant on aid, lost Western donor support with the Taliban's return to power following the US and NATO pullout in August 2021. The Afghan economy swiftly collapsed, forcing self-sufficient Afghans to seek humanitarian aid to survive.

Because of widespread human rights violations, the Taliban's regime has been under international isolation. Notably, with the resurgence of the Taliban in August 2021 in Afghanistan, the country’s educational system has suffered a significant setback. As a result, girls have been deprived of access to education, and seminaries or religious schools have gradually filled the void left by schools and universities.

Afghanistan's women have faced numerous challenges since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Girls and women in the war-torn country have no access to education, employment and public spaces. (ANI)