UN OCHA report says nearly 55% of Afghanistan's population to face food insecurity by 2022

Approximately 55% of the Afghan population is expected to be in a crisis or experiencing emergency levels of food insecurity between now and March of next year, according to a UN agency report published on Friday, November 5. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) shared the report on its official Twitter handle for Afghanistan. The caption mentioned the key highlights of the report.

In its situation report, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) expressed concern regarding 'conditional humanitarianism,' or attempts to leverage humanitarian assistance for political purposes. The Afghanistan Flash Appeal, which seeks USD 606 million in aid for 11 million people until the end of the year, is currently 54% funded. The UN OCHA report stated, “Humanitarians remain concerned about ‘conditional humanitarianism’ or attempts to ‘leverage’ humanitarian assistance for political purposes. Further, donors are urged to ensure transactions and other activities required for humanitarian operations are excluded from the scope of sanctions regimes to allow humanitarian activities to continue without impediment.”

By mid-year, nearly 18.4 million Afghans were in need of assistance

Since September, UN agencies and their partners have reached 48,383 children through community-based education activities, assisted 82,761 people with emergency shelter and non-food items, and provided food assistance to 4.1 million people. According to UN News, approximately 580,050 people received primary healthcare, and 85,623 children under the age of five received treatment for acute malnutrition. Even before the events of 15 August, the country's humanitarian situation was among the worst in the world. By mid-year, nearly half of the population, or 18.4 million people, required humanitarian and protection assistance.
Civilians' protection and safety risks, particularly for women, children, and people with disabilities, were also at an all-time high.

Speaking to journalists in New York, the UN Secretary-General's spokesperson said that isolated clashes and violence affecting civilians and resulting in casualties had continued across the country this week. On November 1, 2 children were killed by gunfire directed at de facto authorities in Jalalabad, Nangarhar Province. 2 civilians were killed two days later, on Wednesday, by a roadside radio-controlled improvised explosive device detonation allegedly targeting the de facto authorities. Armed clashes were reported in Bamyan Province on Thursday, injuring five people, including one civilian.

Image: AP