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Severe flooding in Afghanistan hunger hotspots set to worsen, warns WFP
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned Tuesday that the devastating floods that struck the northeastern and northwestern regions of Afghanistan in the past two weeks are likely to intensify in the coming months, resulting in a significant impact on food security.
According to a statement issued by the UN agency, the floods have so far affected over 80,000 people.
WFP also noted that most of the affected districts are “hunger hotspots” and are already facing crisis levels of food insecurity.
The worsening climate crisis has led to erratic weather patterns, which have become the norm across the country, WFP warned.
Unusually high rainfall, which followed a dry winter that left the ground too hard to absorb rain, led to massive floods earlier this month.
This was further compounded by unseasonably warm temperatures that melted mountain snow, swelling rivers that then swept through villages, burying them under mud.
“With one disaster after another hitting these communities, they’re being pushed back into destitution,” said Hsiao-Wei Lee, WFP Afghanistan’s Country Director.
“Recent improvements in food security in Afghanistan now risk being lost,” said Hsiao-Wei adding that “these families need emergency assistance to survive, and in the longer term, they need investments in community infrastructure that help protect their homes, lands and livelihoods.”
WFP has meanwhile been hard at work providing affected people with fortified biscuits and children with nutritional supplements. Working with local bakeries, WFP also distributed bread to communities most hard hit.
By the end of last week, WFP started giving food rations to people in the affected districts, and providing cash assistance where markets were still functional.
But as the climate crisis worsens, the losses from flooding are expected to increase every year, WFP warned.
The floods come after years of drought that impacted most of the country.
WFP is investing in climate adaptation projects designed and built by communities to shield them from the impacts of the climate crisis. These include protective walls, dams and irrigation canals.
During the Baghlan flood almost two weeks ago, a WFP-supported protection wall safeguarded 670 families and 400 acres of agricultural land.
However, for the flood response, WFP needs an additional US$14.5 million to cover emergency food and nutrition assistance and resilience building projects.
The United States has warned that the threat posed by terrorist groups, including ISIL-Khorasan (ISIL-K), remains a major concern, with instability continuing to provide opportunities for militant organizations to expand.
Speaking at a UN Security Council briefing on threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts, Tammy Bruce, Deputy Representative of the United States to the United Nations, said on Wednesday countering ISIL, al-Qaida and their affiliates remains a key priority for Washington.
“These groups continue to exploit instability — as evidenced by al-Qaida’s gains in the Sahel, ISIL’s growing focus on Africa, and the persistent threat from ISIL-K in Afghanistan,” Bruce said.
The remarks come as Afghan authorities have repeatedly rejected claims that terrorist organizations are operating from Afghanistan and said they will not allow the country’s territory to be used against other nations.
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Kuwait fund signs $5 million in humanitarian grants for Afghanistan, Syria
Under the agreements, $2.5 million will be allocated to the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund and another $2.5 million to the Syria Humanitarian Fund.
The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) signed two grant agreements worth a combined $5 million with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Thursday to support humanitarian operations in Afghanistan and Syria.
Under the agreements, $2.5 million will be allocated to the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund and another $2.5 million to the Syria Humanitarian Fund.
KFAED said the grants will help finance urgent humanitarian programs and projects aimed at addressing critical needs and providing life-saving assistance to vulnerable and affected communities.
The funding will also enable the OCHA-managed humanitarian funds in Afghanistan and Syria to respond more rapidly and flexibly to emergencies, support humanitarian partners on the ground and improve coordination of relief operations.
According to KFAED, the latest agreements reflect Kuwait’s continued commitment to international humanitarian efforts and bring its total contributions to joint projects with OCHA to approximately $16.1 million.
The agreements were signed by KFAED Acting Director General Rashid Al-Bader and OCHA representative in Saudi Arabia Mohammad Zaid.
China has urged Afghan authorities to take resolute action against terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan, warning that such groups continue to pose a serious threat to the country and the wider region.
Speaking at a UN Security Council briefing on threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts, Sun Lei, Chargé d’Affaires of China’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, said on Wednesday the international community should pay close attention to the counter-terrorism situation in Afghanistan.
Citing a report by the UN Secretary-General, Sun said terrorist organizations based in Afghanistan, including ISIL-Khorasan (Daesh), continue to increase their capability and intent to carry out cross-border attacks.
“China urges the Afghan authorities to honor their counter-terrorism commitments and take resolute action against all terrorist groups based in Afghanistan,” Sun said.
He also called for action against individuals and entities listed by the UN Security Council’s 1267 Sanctions Committee, warning that Afghanistan should not become a breeding ground for terrorism.
The Chinese diplomat said the international community should support Afghanistan in rebuilding its economy and improving people’s livelihoods, arguing that addressing economic challenges can help remove conditions that contribute to the spread of terrorism.
Sun added that China supports greater cooperation between Afghanistan, Central Asian countries, and regional organizations, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, to jointly address cross-border terrorist threats.
The remarks come as the Islamic Emirate has repeatedly denied the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan, saying it will not allow Afghan territory to be used against the security of any other country.
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