The Great Assets
  • Business
  • World News
  • Politics
  • Investing
  • Business
  • World News
  • Politics
  • Investing

The Great Assets

World News

Afghanistan food crisis deepens as aid cuts leave many living on ‘just bread and tea’

by admin January 28, 2025
January 28, 2025
Afghanistan food crisis deepens as aid cuts leave many living on ‘just bread and tea’

The head of the World Food Programme in Afghanistan says the agency can only feed half the millions of Afghans in need after cuts in international aid and an impending freeze in US foreign funding.

Many people were living on just “bread and tea,” WFP Country Director Hsiao-Wei Lee told Reuters.

Afghanistan was tipped to the brink of economic crisis in 2021 as the Taliban took over and all development and security assistance to the country was frozen, with restrictions also placed on the banking sector.

Since then humanitarian aid – aimed at funding urgent needs through non-profit organizations and bypassing government control – has filled some of the gap. But donors have been cutting steadily in recent years, concerned by Taliban restrictions on women, including their order that Afghan female NGO employees stop work, and competing global crises.

Lee told Reuters shortly before finishing her three-year term in Afghanistan that funding cuts had meant that roughly half the 15 million Afghans in acute need of food were not receiving rations during this year’s harsh winter.

“That’s over 6 million people who are probably eating one or two meals a day and it’s just bread and tea,” she said in an interview on Saturday. “Unfortunately this is what the situation looks like for so many that have been removed from assistance.”

Afghanistan’s humanitarian plan was only just over half funded in 2024, according to United Nations data, and aid officials have flagged fears this could fall further this year.

The US State Department issued a “stop-work” order on Friday for all existing foreign assistance and paused new aid, according to a cable reported by Reuters, after President Donald Trump ordered a pause to review if aid allocation was aligned with his foreign policy.

It was not immediately clear how that would impact Afghanistan’s humanitarian operations, which in 2024 were over 40% funded by the United States, the largest donor.

“I think any potential reduction in assistance for Afghanistan is of course concerning…whether it is assistance to WFP or another actor,” Lee said.

“The levels of need are just so high here in Afghanistan. I certainly hope that any decisions made, any implementation of decisions made take into consideration the needs of the people – the women, the children,” she said.

Western diplomats and humanitarian officials have said aid is dropping to Afghanistan in part due to global emergencies in Sudan, Ukraine and Gaza and also because of concerns with Taliban restrictions on women.

Last week, the International Criminal Court prosecutor announced he had applied for arrest warrants for two Taliban leaders, including supreme spiritual leader Haibatullah Akhundzada, accusing them of the persecution of women and girls.

Lee said the operating environment had been a “roller coaster” in the last three years, but that WFP was trying to prove to donors concerned about the plethora of restrictions on women that they were still reaching female beneficiaries and their children with aid.

Though the Taliban have said female Afghan NGO workers must stop work, many humanitarian organizations have said they have been granted exemptions, especially in areas like health.

Lee said WFP had adapted and been able to reach women despite funding cuts and official restrictions.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

previous post
Trump to address House GOP in his own backyard during Miami-area working retreat
next post
Denmark boosts Arctic defense spending by $2 billion after Trump’s Greenland interest

Related Posts

Auctioning off millennial saint-to-be’s relics is Satan’s work,...

April 6, 2025

France expels 12 Algerian officials in tit-for-tat move...

April 16, 2025

Wanted world leaders cast a wary eye at...

April 6, 2025

Panama denies State Department claim US government vessels...

February 6, 2025

On first Asia trip, US defense chief Hegseth...

March 28, 2025

How a train station tragedy threatens to bring...

February 2, 2025

Gangs attack another town in Haiti’s central region,...

April 29, 2025

Power is back on in Spain and Portugal,...

April 30, 2025

Unanswered phones and a desperate wait outside the...

March 29, 2025

Vatican to deactivate mobile phone signal ahead of...

May 6, 2025

    Join our mailing list to get access to special deals, promotions, and insider information. Your exclusive benefits await! Enjoy personalized recommendations, first dibs on sales, and members-only content that makes you feel like a true VIP. Sign up now and start saving!


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Editors’ Picks

    • 1

      Top 11 Countries by Rare Earth Metal Production

      February 27, 2025
    • 2

      Capital One outage drags into Friday afternoon, leaving some customers without deposit access

      January 23, 2025
    • 3

      Bank of America CEO says financial industry will jump into crypto payments if regulators allow it

      January 23, 2025
    • 4

      Altech Batteries LtdCERENERGY Accredited Highest Possible Green Rating

      January 24, 2025
    • 5

      Netflix shares soar as company reports surging revenue, tops 300 million subscribers

      January 23, 2025
    • 6

      Altech – CERENERGY Accredited Highest Possible Green Rating

      January 24, 2025
    • 7

      Strategic Alliance with Macmahon to Accelerate Redevelopment of Nifty

      January 23, 2025
    • About us
    • Contacts
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Email Whitelisting

    Disclaimer: thegreatassets.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.


    Copyright © 2025 thegreatassets.com | All Rights Reserved