Print this page

Clashes lead to civilian deaths, as half of Afghans face food insecurity

Children in Kabul, Afghanistan Children in Kabul, Afghanistan Sohaib Ghyasi on Unsplash

5 November 2021

More than half of Afghanistan’s population is facing food insecurity, as clashes result in civilian deaths

Almost 23 million people, 55% of Afghanistan’s population, are estimated to face emergency levels of food insecurity by March 2022. This situation is exacerbated by conditional humanitarianism or attempts to use humanitarian assistance for political purposes, which has been outlined as a concern by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in its latest situation report.

The Afghanistan Flash Appeal is seeking $606 million and is targeting 11 million people with aid until the end of the year. Since 1 September 2021, UN agencies and partners have provided 4.1 million people with food support, assisted more than 82,000 people with emergency shelter and non-food items, and delivered education activities to more than 48,000 children.

Even before 15 August, when Taliban forces took control of Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, the humanitarian situation in the country was one of the worst in the world. About 18.4 million people, almost half of the population, were already in need of humanitarian assistance.

Furthermore, civilian deaths and injuries have resulted from clashes and violence countrywide. Two children died following gunfire directed at de facto authorities in Jalalabad, Nangarhar Province, on 1 November. Two days later, two civilians died after the detonation of a roadside improvised explosive device that was reportedly targeting the de facto authorities. On 4 November, armed clashes in Bamyan Province left  five people injured, including one civilian.

 

To read more, please visit:

https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/11/1105062

https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/sites/www.humanitarianresponse.info/files/documents/files/icct_real-time_response_overview_3_november_final.pdf

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58477131

 

Author: Irina Kovacevic; Editor: Catherine Meunier

Read 524 times