WFP: Reduced aid puts heavy burden on Women and Children in Afghanistan

The World Food Program (WFP) has expressed concern over declining global aid, particularly from the United States, and warned that the primary burden of this crisis falls on Afghanistan’s women and children.

In a post on its official social media platform X, the WFP shared a video on Thursday, April 10, highlighting that due to funding shortages, approximately 650,000 mothers and children in Afghanistan have been denied access to critical nutritional aid.

This warning comes at a time when the United States has suspended its food aid to Afghanistan, citing concerns that the Taliban could exploit the assistance.

Reuters previously reported that the U.S. government plans to reduce foreign aid, including emergency food assistance, to Afghanistan and other countries.

In response to this decision, Cindy McCain, the head of the WFP, warned that cutting emergency food aid could be a “death sentence” for millions who are facing severe hunger.

Meanwhile, despite several promises, the Taliban has failed to take effective measures over the past three years to address the growing hunger crisis. In a recent Eid festival in Kandahar, Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada dismissed reports of poverty and hunger as “intelligence propaganda,” claiming that God created the poor and that no one is responsible for the poverty of citizens.

This situation underscores the urgent need for international cooperation to address the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. With ongoing cuts in aid, millions of vulnerable individuals, especially women and children, are at severe risk of malnutrition and starvation.

Poverty in Afghanistan has reached alarming levels, with over half of the population struggling to meet basic needs. According to the United Nations, nearly 19 million people in the country are food insecure, and millions are at risk of extreme poverty due to the ongoing economic crisis. The situation has been exacerbated by the lack of access to basic services and the impact of years of conflict.

The World Bank has also warned that Afghanistan’s economy is in severe decline, with per capita income falling dramatically. The country’s unemployment rate has soared, and inflation continues to erode the purchasing power of families. As the UN reports, over 90% of Afghans live below the poverty line, with women and children bearing the brunt of the crisis.

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