UN: Half of Afghans suffer from hunger, the worst situation in the country’s history

UN Half of Afghans suffer from hunger the worst situation

The background is the rise to power of the Taliban organization in August 2021. It has pushed millions of Afghans into poverty, and choked off development aid that had previously entered the country.

21:16•Updated 21:18

According to the UN’s World Food Program WFP, Afghanistan’s food security is weaker than ever in the country’s history.

According to the organization, up to half of Afghans suffer from hunger at some point in the year.

The background is the rise to power of the Taliban organization in August 2021. It has pushed millions of Afghans into poverty, and choked off development aid that had previously entered the country.

In addition, the sanctions imposed on the country prevent financial support sent by relatives living abroad from entering the country.

– Up to seven million children under the age of 5 and their mothers suffer from malnutrition, WFP spokesperson Phillipe Kropf said.

Aid organizations such as the WFP still operate in Afghanistan, but their operations are hampered by the fact that the Taliban has forbidden women from working with non-state actors.

The ban has caused 19 WFP partner organizations to cease their activities.

The ban has also led to the closure of 115 health centers, and deprived 616,000 schoolchildren of the opportunity to get school meals, the UN says.

More on the topic:

The Taliban are pushing Afghan women into ever more cramped conditions, the situation is extremely difficult, says a Finnish expert

The Taliban’s decision to prevent women from working in organizations could be disastrous for Afghanistan, the US Secretary of State warns

The Taliban broke all their promises and crushed women’s lives in a year – “Women’s living space has been reduced to a minimum,” says an expert

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