Afghan families hit by severe drought could be cut off by extreme winter weather within weeks, aid agencies warn

November 18, 2011

Save the Children and Oxfam Report
18 Nov 2011

More than 2 million Afghans are at risk of hunger and many are bracing to be stranded for months without help as the country prepares for a harsh winter, Save the Children and Oxfam warned today.

The agencies called for a redoubling of the aid effort to reach people in need before the onset of heavy snows cut off huge swathes of the country.

Poor rains earlier this year mean families in the 14 drought-affected provinces have not been able to grow enough wheat to feed themselves over the winter.

According to a UN assessment, in some provinces almost 100 per cent of the harvest has been destroyed, and food prices have soared, with the price of wheat in some areas doubling on average since this time last year.

Typical Afghan weather patterns mean that those living in mountainous areas- up to half of the affected population –will almost certainly soon be cut off from help as winter closes in.  Read Full Story

Related Posts:

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *