Afghanistan faces a catastrophic food crisis, says World Bank report

Afghanistan is among one of seven countries facing a catastrophic level of food crisis, the World Bank noted in its report, Khaama Press reported.

According to the report, the seven countries affected by the food crisis include Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Haiti, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen.

The number of people experiencing food crises in these countries is the highest since the Global Report on Food Crises began reporting data in 2017.

Meanwhile, UNICEF has also warned that it faces a critical lack of food aid in Afghanistan due to a shortage of funds, amid a widespread humanitarian crisis in the country.

Melanie Galvin, chief of nutrition at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in a video message on Twitter, said thousands of vulnerable children could die of severe malnutrition in Afghanistan this year alone.

Galvin further added that the world food organization faces an urgent funding gap of USD 21 million to buy essential supplies to treat malnutrition and train health workers across the country.

The organization is also facing a shortage of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), he said. RUTF is considered an essential food supplement that can cure children suffering from malnutrition, according to Khaama Press.

Years of conflict, poverty and a broken, donation-based economy have forced ordinary people to suffer acute hunger and food shortages.

UNICEF in its report highlighted that Afghanistan is home to one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. More than 28 million people, including more than 15 million children, are in need of humanitarian and protection assistance this year, a staggering increase of 4 million people over 2022.

Since the return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan in 2021, the economy has not recovered, leaving millions of people on the brink of starvation.