Afghanistan facing catastrophic food crisis: World Bank

Kabul [Afghstan], May 14 : Afghstan is among one of the seven countries which face a catastrophic level of food crisis, the World Bank highlighted in its report, Khaama Press reported.

According to the report, the seven food crisis-hit countries include Afghstan, Burkina Faso, Haiti, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, and Yemen.

The number of people experiencing food crises in these countries is the highest since the Global Report on Food Crises started reporting data in 2017.

Meanwhile, UNICEF has also warned that it is facing a lack of critical food aid in Afghstan due to a shortage of funding, amidst a widespread humtarian crisis in the country.

Mele Galvin, chief of nutrition at the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), in a video message on Twitter, said that thousands of vulnerable children could die from severe malnutrition in Afghstan this year alone.

Galvin further added the global food orgzation faces an urgent funding gap of USD 21 million to buy essential supplies for treating malnutrition and training health workers around the country.

The orgzation also faces a shortage of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), she said. RUTF is considered an essential ready-made food supplement that can cure children suffering from malnutrition, according to Khaama Press.

Years of conflict, poverty, and the broken and donation-based economy have forced ordinary people to suffer acute hunger and food shortage.

UNICEF in its report highlighted that Afghstan is home to one of the world's worst humtarian crises. More than 28 million people, including over 15 million children, need humtarian and protection assistance this year, a staggering increase of 4 million people over 2022.

Since the return of the Taliban to power in Afghstan in 2021, the economy has failed to recover, keeping millions of people on the verge of starvation.

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