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Throughout the world there are millions of people who are experiencing conflict, famine and desperation. News is coming out of Afghanistan from humanitarian organisations on the ground who are working to alleviate the suffering and hunger that has gripped the country since the Taliban regime took over. It is estimated that there are now 22.8 million Afghans who are not consuming enough food, and the country is on the brink of economic collapse.
“Acute malnutrition is above emergency thresholds in 25 out of 34 provinces, and is expected to worsen, with almost half of children under 5 and a quarter of pregnant and breastfeeding women needing life-saving nutrition support in the next 12 months.
It has been reported that some mothers have the horrific and impossible situation of having to sell one of their children in order to feed others, or where men and women are selling their kidneys to buy food. “This is the part of the world which the United Nations now says is fast becoming the centre of the globe’s worst humanitarian disaster. Afghanistan was poor and in difficulties before the chaotic withdrawal of foreign troops last August.
Now, with the Taliban in power and the rest of the world still not officially recognising the legitimacy of their government, it’s the Afghan people who’re having to resort to ever more extreme measures to survive.”
“First they lost their father… then their mother died. So the eight kids were left to fend for themselves, alone in Afghanistan. Neighbours tried to help, but they were hungry, too. The eight children starved to death. The youngest wasn’t even 2 years old. Afghanistan is starving: 23 million people are on the edge of famine and one million children could die this winter. Some are barely surviving on nothing but dry flour.”
Photo: WFP/Sadeq Naseri : WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME
A line for food assistance in Kabul – without urgent assistance
children are particularly vulnerable to the ravages of hunger.