First humanitarian flight to Kabul marks 'turning point' in crisis: WFP 

More than 90 per cent of families are struggling to find capable to eat, and with winter accelerated approaching, assistance agencies person been “scrambling to conscionable monolithic needs earlier it is excessively late”, said WFP spokesperson, Tomson Phiri, who was speaking successful Geneva. 

The WFP-led Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) has completed 3 cargo flights since the reopening of the aerial nexus to Kabul connected 12 September, bringing successful aesculapian supplies connected behalf of the World Health Organization. 

This has enabled “humanitarian responders and much-needed alleviation items to scope hopeless Afghans successful aggregate locations crossed the country”. Prior to this UNHAS has connected Islamabad, Pakistan, to the Afghan towns of Mazar-i-Sharif, Kandahar and Herat, since 29 August, Mr. Phiri said.  

More needed to avert catastrophe 

Through its six tract offices crossed the country, WFP has been stepping up its operations. Food convoys person been moving crossed the state and successful August unsocial “more than 400,000 radical received assistance”.  

However, to “avert a humanitarian catastrophe, overmuch much is needed”, Mr. Phiri said. “WFP needs to scope 9 cardinal radical a period by November if it is to conscionable its planned people of 14 million by the extremity of 2021”. 

To support the aerial services going, $30 cardinal is needed connected apical of the $200 cardinal needed to replenish the nutrient pipeline and transport supplies into the state earlier the wintertime sets in, the WFP spokesperson said.  

Operations stepped up 

According to Mr. Phiri, since the opening of 2021, WFP has assisted much than 6.4 cardinal people, including 470,000 internally displaced people. 

Among those are 170,000 large and breastfeeding women and 750,000 young children who request treatment for malnutrition, or who risk becoming malnourished. WFP has besides deployed an further 34 mobile wellness teams since the opening of August, adding up to a full of 117. 

From 15 August to 7 September, WFP provided nutrient and nutrition assistance to astir 600,000 people, including 13,500 children nether the schoolhouse meals programme, and 105,000 mothers and young children. 

During the aforesaid period, the agency brought an further 29 truck-loads into the country, including Lipid-based Nutrient Supplements (LNS), for the prevention and attraction of malnutrition. 

Mr. Phiri added that successful anticipation of the precocious nutrient needs and further disruptions to proviso chains, nutrient and different stocks person been positioned astatine strategical borderline points successful Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. A logistics hub of 5,000 quadrate meters is besides being established in Termez, Uzbekistan, helium said.