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UK contributes $50 million to WFP’s programs in Afghanistan
Nearly $29 million will go to families as cash or vouchers to buy food at local markets or receive it from local commercial retailers.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Afghanistan has welcomed a £40 million (over US$50 million) contribution from the United Kingdom for emergency food assistance in Afghanistan.
The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO) contribution will help WFP support more than 1.2 million people with emergency food assistance.
According to a statement issued by the UN agency, plans to provide preventive malnutrition treatment for nearly 150,000 children and more than 140,000 pregnant and breastfeeding mothers.
The funding will also enable 77,000 food-insecure people to participate in asset creation projects that help communities become more productive and resilient to the impacts of the climate crisis.
“The UK remains committed to supporting the people of Afghanistan,” said UK Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, Hamish Falconer.
“This new funding to the World Food Programme will help more than one million people with vital emergency food and nutrition assistance. We are also investing in interventions that will help build the resilience of vulnerable communities, better equipping them to prepare for the impacts of climate change,” he said.
WFP meanwhile said that with this funding they will be able to procure almost 9,000 tons of essential food items including fortified wheat flour, fortified vegetable oil, split peas, and iodized salt for distribution under its emergency and resilience programmes and over 1,900 tons of specialized nutritious food to prevent malnutrition.
Nearly $29 million will go to families as cash or vouchers to buy food at local markets or receive it from local commercial retailers.
“WFP often remains the last lifeline for Afghan women and families who can barely make ends meet and need food assistance to survive,” said Hsiao-Wei Lee, WFP Country Director in Afghanistan.
“With support from our partners like the United Kingdom, WFP can reach some of the most vulnerable people but importantly also continue to build a more resilient, food secure future for rural communities.”
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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