ISLAMABAD: The pinnacle of the World Meals Programme in Afghanistan says the company can solely feed half the tens of millions of Afghans in want after cuts in worldwide assist and an impending freeze in US overseas funding.
Many individuals have been dwelling on simply “bread and tea”, WFP Nation Director Hsiao-Wei Lee advised Reuters.
Afghanistan was tipped to the brink of financial disaster in 2021 because the Taliban took over and all improvement and safety help to the nation was frozen, with restrictions additionally positioned on the banking sector.
Since then humanitarian assist – geared toward funding pressing wants by way of non-profit organisations and bypassing authorities management – has stuffed among the hole. However donors have been chopping steadily lately, involved by Taliban restrictions on ladies, together with their order that Afghan feminine NGO staff cease work, and competing international crises.
Lee advised Reuters shortly earlier than ending her three-year time period in Afghanistan that funding cuts had meant that roughly half the 15 million Afghans in acute want of meals weren’t receiving rations throughout this yr’s harsh winter.
“That is over 6 million people who find themselves in all probability consuming one or two meals a day and it is simply bread and tea,” she stated in an interview on Saturday. “Sadly that is what the state of affairs seems like for therefore many which were faraway from help.”
Afghanistan’s humanitarian plan was solely simply over half funded in 2024, in keeping with U.N. knowledge, and assist officers have flagged fears this might fall additional this yr.
The US State Division issued a “stop-work” order on Friday for all current overseas help and paused new assist, in keeping with a cable reported by Reuters, after President Donald Trump ordered a pause to assessment if assist allocation was aligned along with his overseas coverage.
It was not instantly clear how that will affect Afghanistan’s humanitarian operations, which in 2024 have been over 40 per cent funded by the USA, the most important donor.
“I believe any potential discount in help for Afghanistan is after all regarding … whether or not it’s help to WFP or one other actor,” Lee stated.
“The degrees of want are simply so excessive right here in Afghanistan. I actually hope that any selections made, any implementation of selections made consider the wants of the individuals – the ladies, the youngsters,” she stated.
Western diplomats and humanitarian officers have stated assist is dropping to Afghanistan partially resulting from international emergencies in Sudan, Ukraine and Gaza and likewise due to considerations with Taliban restrictions on ladies.
