As the international community attempts to help Afghanistan rebuild, the Taliban insurgency and illegal opium growing remain among the largest detriments to peace and security. A no less deadly factor that also continues to threaten the well-being of Afghans is hunger. According to a recent article on Eurasianet, Afghans die from hunger and poverty each year (40,000) at a rate 25 times higher than those who die from conflict. The article also discusses the effects that the global food crisis has had on Afghanistan and the challenges of ensuring food security there.
To address the problem of Afghanistan’s food security, the UN requested $600 million under the Humanitarian Action Plan for Afghanistan, announced in early February 2009. UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes announced that $354 million, the largest disbursement of money under the plan, would be used to provide food for nearly one third of the population.
