According to a recent UN report, millions of Afghans will face starvation this winter unless urgent action is taken to ensure food security. More than half of the population currently faces food shortages, while 3.2 million children under the age of five are at risk for acute malnutrition, according to the UN World Food Programme (WFP). The executive director of the WFP, David Beasley, stated that Afghanistan is now among the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
The situation in Afghanistan has worsened since the Taliban took over the country in August. The US pulled out the last of its remaining troops and the militant group was able to regain ground. The takeover worsened an already struggling economy that was highly dependent on foreign aid. However, due to the takeover, western powers have suspended aid, and the World Bank and International Monetary Fund also ceased payments. Many Afghans have reportedly begun to sell their possessions to buy food. The Taliban administration has been blocked from accessing overseas assets, meaning that they are struggling to pay wages to civil servants and other government-employed workers.
Read More: Afghanistan Facing Desperate Food Crisis, UN Warns