KABUL (SW) – The World Food Program says that the back to back earthquakes in western Afghanistan have worsened the humanitarian situation.
Officials of the World Food Program, in a conversation with Salam Watandar, while stressing that 23 million dollars are needed to address the immediate needs of the earthquake victims, said that this organization has been forced to reduce aid to other sectors in order to deal with the earthquake victims. Meanwhile, a number of Herat residents who were affected by the recent earthquakes say that they are not getting the help they need.
While a large number of residents of Herat province are living in a miserable condition due to the displacement and homelessness caused by the earthquakes in this province, the officials of the World Food Program report that the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has worsened.
Philip Kruff, the head of communications of the World Food Program in Afghanistan, told Salam Watandar that after the earthquake, the number of people suffering from malnutrition has increased and the lives of hundreds of thousands of children are at risk. “This natural disaster occurred while more than 15 million people in Afghanistan, or a third of the country’s population, do not know where their next meal will come from, and humanitarian aid is at its lowest level. WFP had previously been forced to exclude 10 million Afghans from its programs and stop its activities in 150 districts. Malnutrition has increased and threatens the lives of hundreds of thousands of children, and now this earthquake has made the situation much worse,” he said.
The head of communications of the World Food Program in Afghanistan said that this organization has been forced to use the food resources of other departments of this organization to provide assistance to the victims of the earthquake.
According to this official of the World Food Program, 23 million dollars of funds are needed to provide immediate aid to the victims of the earthquake.
“We need $23 million in urgent aid to support 118,000 people after this devastating earthquake. This amount of money includes $11 million for emergency food aid. Nearly 10 million dollars for the continuation of longer-term activities to rebuild the livelihood of earthquake victims. 2 million dollars is needed to provide food in schools in the affected areas and a little more than 1 million dollars is needed to provide nutrition services,” he added.
Meanwhile, a number of residents of Zindajan district of Herat province, who were displaced to Herat city as a result of the earthquake and are now living in miserable conditions, say that they have not been provided with assistance that can meet their daily needs.
Nazar Mohammad, one of these earthquake victim, told Salam Watandar: “It’s been fourteen days since we came here, we haven’t received help and facilities, our children are sick, we must get enough help.”
Qubra, another victim, said: “I am wondering what to do. We have taken shelter in a mosque. One of my children is sick. I don’t know where to take the sick child. I am wondering what to do with the others. They are all hungry and thirsty.”
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