The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) will be able to provide humanitarian assistance to over 230,000 people returning to Afghanistan. Already, a third of the population in the country is suffering from hunger, Avesta reports.
In 2023, funding shortages forced the UN WFP to reduce the size of the food assistance provided to those in need, impacting 10 million Afghans. Responding to crisis situations was only possible through borrowing from the already limited funds of other programs.
In these circumstances, the WFP welcomes a contribution from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) amounting to $3.8 million. The funds will be directed towards supporting Afghan refugees forced to return to Afghanistan from Pakistan.
Isabel Mousset Carlsson, Head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Afghanistan, noted that since September of the previous year, 500,000 Afghans have returned from Pakistan. She emphasized that, in the harsh Afghan winter conditions, the lean season, and acute food shortages, CERF funding will be a lifeline for thousands of returnees. It will provide them with financial assistance, granting them freedom of choice and helping stimulate the local economy.
Timely funding provided through CERF for WFP in Afghanistan is crucial for supporting the most vulnerable population groups. In 2023, the Program received a total of $29.3 million, enabling assistance to those affected by earthquakes in the Herat province and supporting over 200,000 vulnerable Afghans during the winter period.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
February 8, 2024