Millions of Afghans face
hunger: Oxfam


KABUL (PAN): A UK-based organisation has called for international donors
to step up food and water deliveries to vulnerable Afghans in several
provinces of the country before the onset of harsh winter.

Oxfam said about three million people were going hungry because of a
drought that had gripped northern and western parts of the impoverished
country since last 2010.

The British aid agency said in a statement on Tuesday: "Governments need
to wake up to the gravity of this crisis and ensure they are ready to
respond before the situation gets worse."

Asuntha Charles, the Oxfam director in Afghanistan, warned three quarters
of people living in the affected areas would run out of food in less than two
months.

"The drought has completely destroyed the wheat crop in some areas.
People are reducing the amount of food they are eating and selling what
little they have," Charles said.

Pastures in the regions have been destroyed due to the drought, and
overall 80 percent of non-irrigated wheat crops in those places have been
lost. Delays would make things harder for families already struggling to
cope, the group said.

"There have been reports of people trekking nine hours to get clean water
and going into debt to ensure their children have food. Donor and aid
agencies need to heed these warning signs and ensure that people have
the support that they need," Charles concluded.




http://www.pajhwok.com/en/2011/09/21...e-hunger-oxfam

Nearly 400,000 people face
drought this year, minister

As many 400,000 people are at the serious risk of drought and natural disaster this
year, said minister of agriculture, irrigation and stocks of Afghanistan, Mohammad Asef
Rahimi on Wednesday.

The ministry could provide food for only 200,000 of the 400,000 households seriously
facing drought in 14 provinces of the country through which each household would
receive 200kg of wheat and 50kg of rice, Rahimi said.

40,000 tonnes of stocked wheat would soon be distributed among the people with
harsh drought strike and 20,000 tonns of stocks’ edible from which 9,000 tons had
been purchased by the UN and 11,000 tonns of other is expected to be purchased
soon would also be distributed, the minister noted.

Likewise, 5,000tonns of rice had been purchased from Kazakh country and expected
to be distributed among the vulnerable household soon, Rahimi detailed.

Rahimi said that 10,000 tonns of wheat are said to be distributed among those farmers
had never or less received harvest from their drought stricken lands and up to
100,000 tonns of wheat contracted with India is due to arrive soon as well as
150,000tonns of other would be contracted with that country.

Rahimi said his ministry in cooperation with the emergency committee had appealed to
providing $596m from which $142million would be distributed among the drought
affected households and the remaining would allocated for those under poverty-line.

Meanwhile, acting public health minister, Suraya Dalil said that 2.1 million people
across the country were suffering health problems and pledged that protective
essentials had been provided to be sent to the rural areas where the residents are in
a long distance to the healthcare centers.

“We have launched an appeal to provide $2.7million to fight drought and natural
disaster across the country”, Dalil said.

Up to 3.2 million Afghans are facing lack of food mostly in the rural areas, forming 20
percent of the country’s population.



Wakht News » Nearly 400,000 people face drought this year, minister 2011-09-28 18:26:

another overlooked aspect of sovereignty is the ability to provide for your own without outside help.

NATO air strikes have been destroying so many crops, why don't they write the truth to whats really going in Sangin entire yearly crops were destroyed after carpet bombing,water supply's have been destroyed ,their helicopters fighter planes are landing in crops.

Muslim countries need to do something and help Afghans.

Turkey, admirably, did a lot to help starving Somalis. GCC, Turkey, Malaysia, Bangladesh should all try to help out.