OCHA: 7.4 million people in Afghanistan have been assisted in the past 6 months

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - Kabul: According to the agency, 62 percent of recipients, equivalent to 4.6 million people, have received food assistance, indicating the extent of acute food insecurity in the country.

 

Noting that this level of coverage is significant compared to the budget received, OCHA has warned that aid operations in Afghanistan are facing a severe budget shortage. Of the total $1.71 billion needed, $1.42 billion, equivalent to 83 percent, has not yet been provided, and of the $465 million identified as the most urgent financial need, 37 percent has still not been provided.

 

It is worth noting that UN agencies say that nearly 14 million people in Afghanistan are currently facing hunger. According to the World Food Program, nearly 3.7 million children will suffer from acute malnutrition this year, as well as 1.2 million pregnant and lactating women.

 

Declining international aid and budget shortfalls have severely limited the ability of aid agencies to respond to this massive crisis.