UN Food Agency Issues Warning About “A Hunger Catastrophe” in Afghanistan

According to the head of the United Nations food agency in Afghanistan, a humanitarian catastrophe is brewing in the nation, with 14 million people facing acute starvation as a result of the Taliban's control.

In a video briefing to UN correspondents from Kabul on Wednesday, Mary Ellen McGroarty, the World Food Program's country director, said that the conflict in Afghanistan, the country's second severe drought in three years, and the social & economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic have pushed an already dire situation into a "catastrophe."

According to McGroarty, the drought has resulted in the loss of over 40% of crops and livestock, as well as the displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians as the Taliban advance, and winter is rapidly nearing.

"It's a race to get food where it's needed the most," she added.

WFP touched 4 million people in May and intends to reach 9 million over the next couple of months, she added, adding that there are "many, many obstacles."

McGroarty demanded an end to the war and urged donors to give the USD 200 million required to send food into the nation before winter arrives and roads become impassable.

The Conflict So Far:

The Taliban have surged to victory in Afghanistan after 20 years of conflict. On August 15, the group concluded their astonishingly quick assault throughout the nation by seizing Kabul.

It comes two decades after US troops ousted the insurgents from power in 2001, and two decades after foreign forces announced their pullout following an agreement between the US and the Taliban.

Thousands of people have been killed and millions have been displaced as a result of the violence. Taliban fighters have vowed to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for terrorists posing a threat to the West.

However, doubts have already been raised about how the group intends to manage the country, as well as what their reign would entail for women, human rights, and political liberties.