CERF allocates US$ 8 million for humanitarian response to food insecurity in Afghanistan
14 February 2008: Afghanistan is currently experiencing a severe food shortage arising from sudden and drastic increase in wheat flour prices, making it unaffordable by most low income households. World Food Programme (WFP) estimates that wheat flour increased by an average of 58% between January and December 2007. About 2.55 million people are estimated to be critically food insecure and vulnerable to malnutrition. Natural disasters like drought, flood, and snow fall during winter are very common and disrupt access to food markets.
 |
| Boys sitting in Afghanistan. [Photo: UNICEF] |
WFP is responding in Afghanistan by using a CERF grant to provide food assistance for affected households. People in need are being given three months of food assistance in order to increase their capacity to cope. Approximately 22,600 households (135,600 people) are benefiting from the project.
The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) is using CERF funds to prevent and control malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies among 237,000 children and 118,000 pregnant and lactating women. It is assisting health facilities to manage severe acute malnutrition by providing essential food such as high energy protein biscuits, therapeutic milk, and micronutrients.
The need for basic health services to food insecure communities is being addressed by a World Health Organization (WHO) project using CERF funds. WHO is making essential drugs available in multiple provinces as well as providing health supplies and equipment, and health worker briefings. Over 400,000 people are being provided with improved health services through the project.
[Last Update: 15 February 2008]
«CERF Around the World
CERF allocates US$ 1.4 million to maintain humanitarian air services in Afghanistan
 |
Air transport will provide humanitarian assitance to Afghans
[Photo: WFP] |
30 January 2008: United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) Afghanistan was established in January 2002. Since then, it has carried more than 273,000 passengers from the diplomatic and humanitarian community and 6,000 tonnes of cargo, clearly demonstrating that it can provide access and safety of relief operations within the country.
When UNHAS stopped working as a purely donor-funded Special Operation in October 2005, it succeeded to cover the costs of its services for more than a year. But starting in January 2007, reduction in passenger traffic and a substantial increase in operating expenses led to important monthly losses. To maintain the widely appreciated air services from February to April 2008, the CERF has allocated US $1.4 million to the World Food Programme (WFP) as the UN agency in charge of logistics.
[Last Update: 4 February 2008]
«CERF Around the World