RASC News Agency: The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Afghanistan has reported that $500 million in funding is urgently required to support the country’s most vulnerable as winter approaches. In a statement issued on Sunday September 29, via its X (formerly Twitter) account, OCHA revealed that 15.8 million people in Afghanistan will be in need of food and livelihood assistance during the coming winter months.
The organization underscored that nearly half of Afghanistan’s population is entangled in the grip of poverty and unemployment, with countless individuals uncertain of their next meal. OCHA expressed grave concerns about the heightened risks posed by the forthcoming winter, stressing that beyond food security, the immediate need for adequate shelter and winter clothing remains critical. The agency further emphasized that these essential supplies must be secured within the next three months to avert a humanitarian catastrophe.
Earlier this year, OCHA had projected that 23.7 million Afghanistanis would require humanitarian assistance throughout 2024. However, the current humanitarian response plan for Afghanistan faces a staggering shortfall of $2.3 billion. Compounding the crisis, recent months have seen an upsurge in natural disasters, particularly heavy rains and devastating floods, which have only intensified the nation’s already dire needs.
International food organizations, human rights bodies, and relief agencies have consistently raised alarms about Afghanistan’s deepening humanitarian crisis, where large segments of the population are descending into severe poverty. Since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, the country’s economy has crumbled, poverty has soared to unprecedented levels, and widespread unemployment continues to plague the nation.
