‘Severe drought, harsh winters impacted farmers’: FAO on Afghanistan food crisis

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has reported that severe and widespread drought and a bitterly cold winter have impacted farmers in Afghanistan, as per the Kabul-based news outlet TOLOnews.

“Severe and widespread drought, in addition to an extremely harsh winter, have impacted farmers…,” the recently released FAO report read.

The FAO added that 80% of Afghan families are dependent on agriculture for their livelihood. “With 80 percent of families dependent on agriculture for their food and income, humanitarian livelihood support is critical,” the report said.

According to a report published by FAO in 2022, “Every USD $1 spent to protect rural livelihoods saved around USD $7 in additional humanitarian assistance, generated further income for Afghan families and supplied food in local markets.”

The FAO further alerted the international community that it required a budget of US$ 252.4 million to be able to assist the 8 million people who are suffering from food shortages in Afghanistan, the TOLOnews report said.

‘Sanctions, freezing of assets have effects on Afghanistan livelihoods’: Taliban minister

Ever since the Taliban seized control of the conflict-ravaged country in 2022, Afghanistan has seen a surmounting humanitarian crisis, including severe food shortages.

Abdul Baseer Taraki, an economist, blamed the food shortage on the reduction in foreign aid since most governments do not recognise the ‘Islamic Emirate’ under Taliban rule.

“Currently, our country [Islamic Emirate] is not recognized, the banking system is problematic, the business is down and we are forced to accept less than 30 to 40 percent of assistance,” Baraki told TOLOnews.

The concerns were shared by the Taliban Deputy Minister of Economy Abdul Latif Nazari, who said that the main reasons for the widespread poverty in the country are the economic and trading sanctions imposed on Afghanistan by the Western countries, as well as the suspension of international aid and infrastructural support.

“The sanctions and freezing of Afghan assets will undoubtedly have their effects on the livelihood of the people of Afghanistan,” Nazari told the news outlet.

Nazari, in an international seminar back on May 20, had said, “Sanctions and freezing of people’s money in Afghanistan have led to the spread of poverty among the people. I hope that the sanctions will be lifted as soon as possible and people’s assets will be freed. The Islamic Emirate seeks constructive interaction with the world.”

A United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) report in June reported that the estimated number of people in Afghanistan in need of urgent humanitarian assistance has surged to 28.8 million, up from the figure of 28.3 million which was recorded at the beginning of 2023.