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UN forced to cut food aid to millions globally because of funding crisis
The United Nations has been forced to cut food, cash payments and assistance to millions of people in many countries because of “a crippling funding crisis” that has seen its donations plummet by about half as acute hunger is hitting record levels, a top official said Friday.
Carl Skau, deputy executive director of the World Food Program, told a news conference that at least 38 of the 86 countries where WFP operates have already seen cuts or plan to cut assistance soon — including Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen and West Africa.
He said WFP’s operating requirement is $20 billion to deliver aid to everyone in need, but it was aiming for between $10 billion and $14 billion, which was what the agency had received in the past few years.
“We’re still aiming at that, but we have only so far this year gotten to about half of that, around $5 billion,” Skau said.
He said humanitarian needs were “going through the roof” in 2021 and 2022 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine and its global implications. “Those needs continue to grow, those drivers are still there,” he said, “but the funding is drying up. So we’re looking at 2024 (being) even more dire.”
“The largest food and nutrition crisis in history today persists,” Skau said. “This year, 345 million people continue to be acutely food insecure while hundreds of millions of people are at risk of worsening hunger.”
Skau said that in March, WFP was forced to cut rations from 75% to 50% for communities in Afghanistan facing emergency levels of hunger, and in May it was forced to cut food for 8 million people — 66% of the people it was assisting.
He urged world leaders to prioritize humanitarian funding and invest in long-term solutions to conflicts, poverty, development and other root causes of the current crisis.
Mawlavi Abdul Kabir, the political deputy prime minister, said Wednesday in a meeting with a number of elders, scholars and youths of the Hazara ethnic group in Kabul that justice in light of Islamic Sharia is applied equally to everyone.
The deputy PM’s office said in a statement that Kabir stressed that discrimination and prejudice have no place in the Islamic system, but the main goal is to serve the people.
“There is no place for ethnic, sectarian and linguistic prejudices and hypocrisy in Afghanistan. All Afghans should work together for the construction, development and prosperity of Afghanistan,” the statement read.
At the gathering, elders and scholars of the Hazara community demanded resolutions regarding their legal cases and other problems and assured the IEA of comprehensive cooperation with the Islamic system, the statement added.
Eight security force members were killed and wounded in an IED explosion in Badakhshan province on Wednesday morning, officials confirmed.
The Ministry of Interior said three policemen died and five others were wounded in the explosion.
Abdul Mateen Qani, the spokesman of the Ministry of Interior Affairs, said: “Unfortunately, at around 11:00 AM today, a sticky mine (magnetic IED) that was already embedded in a motorcycle exploded in the Jawozon area of Faizabad city, Badakhshan province.”
According to Qani the device detonated while a convoy of police was traveling through the area. Police had been carrying out a poppy clearing operation.
Police are investigating the incident, Qani said.
So far, no group or individual has claimed responsibility for the explosion.
Khurasan Faryab defeated Istiqlal Kabul 1-0 in the 35th match of Afghanistan Champions League (ACL) in Kabul on Tuesday, while Sorkh Poshan Khafi thrashed Sarsabz Yashlar 4-1 in the 36th match of the tournament on the same day.
Khurasan’s only goal against Istiqlal Kabul was scored by Farid Ahmad – who was declared man of the match.
In the second match of the day, Sorkh Poshan Khafi’s four goals were scored by Habibullah Hotak and Omid Rajabi.
Khurasan’s Habibullah Hotak received the man of the match award.
Wednesday’s matches will see Abu Muslim Farah FC take on Adalat Farah FC at 1 PM, while Maiwand FC will play Jawanan Wahedi FC at 3:30 PM.
The matches are broadcast live on Ariana Television.
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