Afghanistan will be more food insecure as 2011 dawns, according to international aid organizations working there. Already one of the most food insecure countries in the world, Afghanistan’s population may not receive needed food aid past June because of a funding shortfall to organizations like the World Food Programme.
The summer floods in Pakistan have already reduced the production of wheat in the region, driving up prices and taking a toll on Afghanistan’s food security.
But the U.S.-funded Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS-NET) has predicted that over half of [Afghanistan] would be highly or moderately food-insecure in January-February. It said wheat prices had increased by over 31 percent since July 2010 and further increases were likely in the coming months.
Afghanistan’s traditionally harsh winters, as well as the country’s ongoing conflicts will further challenge the ability of aid agencies to operate securely and reach remote areas.
With a 2007-2008 government assessment putting almost a third of Afghanistan’s population, or 7.4 million people as food insecure and an additional 8.5 million people in danger of being without adequate food, the funding shortfall could significantly endanger the population.
Posted by Michael Lucivero.
Photo credit: World Food Programme.
