The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has warned of a possible rise in food insecurity in Afghanistan.
Despite a slight improvement in food security in 2024, the organization has stated that 32% of Afghanistan's population still requires urgent humanitarian assistance.
According to UNICEF’s report: “In 2024, 14.8 million people (32 percent of the population) are projected to be food insecure (IPC Phase 3/Crisis or above) during the winter months and are in urgent need of humanitarian food assistance from November 2024 to March 2025. The risk of food insecurity is likely to increase as borderline La Niña conditions have been projected for the period December 2024 - February 2025.”
UNICEF has identified prolonged conflicts, the return of migrants from Pakistan, climate change, and economic stagnation as the primary causes of food insecurity in Afghanistan.
Economic experts emphasize the need for both short-term and long-term plans to reduce poverty in the country.
“To eradicate poverty, we need two programs: a short-term one, which includes increasing people's purchasing power through liquidity injection and humanitarian aid, and a long-term one, which involves infrastructure development and the implementation of national and international projects in Afghanistan,” stated Abdul Zahoor Madbar, an economic expert.
As poverty and unemployment continue to rise in the country, some Kabul residents say they need job opportunities to sustain their families.
“Right now, I don’t even have ten afghani to buy food for my home,” stated Naseem, a Kabul resident.
“If there is work, we will do it to provide for our families,” Another Kabul resident, Barat, added.
Meanwhile, the Afghan Ministry of Economy has stated that the Islamic Emirate has fundamental plans to prevent food insecurity and reduce poverty.
“The Islamic Emirate is working on fundamental and infrastructural projects to eliminate food insecurity and poverty.
Therefore, the precise utilization of natural resources, especially mining extraction and regional projects like TAPI, is a priority. We also urge the international community to continue providing humanitarian aid to the Afghan people,” stated Abdul Latif Nazari, Deputy Minister of Economy.
According to UNICEF’s report, the organization's humanitarian program for Afghanistan in 2024 required $1.44 billion. However, only 56% of this budget has been secured so far, raising concerns about the continuation of food insecurity in the country.
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