Afghanistan "Facing Food Shortage Crisis in September"... UN Agency Warns

Airport Blockage Disrupts Delivery of Relief Supplies
Severe Drought Persists for 3 Years Amid Taliban Takeover

At the military airport in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan controlled by the Islamic militant group Taliban, Afghans trying to escape abroad are waiting to board a US military transport plane. Foreign media reported that thousands of Afghans are still gathered around the airport, hoping for a chance to escape. Photo by AFP

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] Concerns are rising that the food shortage problem in Afghanistan, which is facing a crisis due to the Taliban occupation, could accelerate as severe drought continues.

According to foreign media including The Guardian on the 23rd (local time), the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that the landing of civilian aircraft at Kabul Airport in Afghanistan has been blocked, halting the transportation of essential relief supplies.

There are also concerns that food aid via land routes will soon reach its limit. Andrew Patterson, Deputy Country Director for Afghanistan at the World Food Programme (WFP), said, “Currently, food is being delivered through neighboring countries such as Uzbekistan,” adding, “A total of 54,000 metric tons of additional food is needed by December, but if the current situation continues, food supplies will run out by September.”

United Nations (UN) agencies have also warned that Afghanistan will face food shortages starting in September.

Richard Brennan, WHO Emergency Coordinator for Afghanistan, said in a media interview, “The world’s attention is focused on the evacuation from Afghanistan, but we need supplies to help those left behind,” and appealed, “Empty planes coming to Afghanistan for refugee transport should stop by WHO logistics warehouses in places like Dubai, United Arab Emirates, before arriving in Afghanistan to pick up supplies.”

The WFP estimates that about 20 million people, half of Afghanistan’s population, require food assistance. Even before the Taliban took control, 18.5 million Afghans depended on aid to survive. Relief organizations have analyzed that approximately 550,000 additional people need food aid due to the Taliban occupation.

Moreover, the severe drought that has persisted in Afghanistan over the past three years is accelerating the food crisis. Gregory Mathias of the International Rescue Committee said, “The Afghan government declared a drought crisis in July, but the severity of the crisis has now reached an unprecedented level.”

UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) announced in a statement that about 10 million children across Afghanistan need humanitarian aid, and among them, 1 million suffer from severe malnutrition and could die without treatment.