Lacking funds, WFP may halt Afghan operations

KABUL (Tolo News): The World Food Programme warned that if the funds asked for by the organization are not immediately provided by the donors, it may halt operations in Afghanistan. This comes as Afghanistan is facing a severe humanitarian catastrophe with millions of people suffering from starvation and a lack of basic needs.
The Islamic Emirate stressed that the distribution of aid should be conducted through the domestic institutions to ensure transparency. “Over half of all Afghans – 23 million people – need emergency food assistance. Yet a lack of funds threaten to grind operations to a halt,” WFP said on Twitter.
Based on the available numbers of the WFP, around 12 million Afghans have been provided with food materials within the last month. The WFP said it needed $1.6 billion to continue its aid for the people who are in need in Afghanistan. “There are no problems between the aid organizations and Islamic Emirate with the distribution of aid. I hope this problem will be solved soon,” said Bilal Karimi, deputy spokesman for the Islamic Emirate.
This comes as the officials at the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock suggested that the distribution of aid be transparent and distributed through the organizations active inside Afghanistan. “It is better that the international aid be provided in cooperation with the domestic organizations to reach those who deserve the aid,” said Musbahuddin, a spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock. Earlier, analysts expressed concerns that the tensions in Ukraine would distract the attention of the world from Afghanistan.