More than half of Afghanistan's population depends upon Humanitarian assistance: UNHRC

Amid the deteriorating economic and humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on Thursday said that more than half of the population of Afghanistan is dependent upon humanitarian assistance.

UNHRC posted a picture of an Afghani girl on Twitter with a quote, "More than half of Afghanistan's population is dependent on life-saving humanitarian assistance and protection. 1 in 2 people does not know where their next meal is coming from."

It further wrote that Afghanistan's people cannot be left behind. "We provide direct aid to the most vulnerable. We build schools, health centres, water projects and roads to provide conditions for the voluntary return of refugees and displaced people when they feel ready."

Earlier, a report by US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) stated that more than 24.4 million people are in need of humanitarian aid in Afghanistan, an increase from 18.4 million in 2021, Khama Press reported.

It further said that according to a report by World Food Program (WFP), 97 per cent of the population consumed insufficient food in December, and they were resorting to dealing with a situation such as skipping meals.

Earlier, WFP said in its report that since the fall of the former government to the Taliban, over 22 million people face severe hunger. Absolute poverty, food crisis, and unemployment are being witnessed at an all-time high as families in Kabul are forced to move to the streets. Drought, conflict, the outbreak of COVID-19 and the economic crisis have added to their woes.

Besides this, the continuously soaring prices of food products in the country have emerged as a new challenge for Afghanis. In a short span of fewer than three months, food prices have almost doubled, reported The Khaama Press. The price of a sack of flour ranges between 2,800 to 3,000 Afghanis as compared previously when it was sold at 1,400 Afghanis.

As per a local survey, the rate of poverty in Afghanistan has exceeded 95 per cent since the fall of the former government while 56 per cent are seeking to leave the country amid a drop in daily income. Moreover, millions of Afghans are on the brink of starvation as the country reels from a humanitarian crisis.

( With inputs from ANI )

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