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CWS/ERP Situation Report: Afghanistan Food Shortage/Drought
CWS-Pakistan/Afghanistan and USAID have been responding to the effectees of prolonged drought through construction of a sustainable water resources system.
Photo: CWS-Pakistan/Afghanistan
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Millions of Afghans --- still struggling with war, conflict and political instability -- are facing food shortages due to harvest failure caused by too little rain last winter and spring. The current drought is reminiscent of an earlier drought that afflicted the country from 1998-2003.
Most crops dependent on rain -- estimated to constitute 85 percent of the cultivated land - are being lost, according to recent studies, resulting in 2.5 million Afghans at risk, mainly in the northern, western and central regions of Afghanistan. They face acute food shortages. In addition, some 6.5 million people are chronically or seasonally insecure. (The total population of Afghanistan is approximately 30 million.)
Water sources are drying up; due to the reduced availability of fodder, livestock mortality rates have increased and livestock prices have fallen. Families with no food reserves are migrating to other places for work. Women are suffering the most in meeting the needs of their families. Some families are reportedly so hard-pressed that they see the bride price as a means of income and are marrying their daughters off at an earlier age.
RESPONSE: In response to a request from the Afghanistan Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development, Church World Service-Pakistan/Afghanistan (CWS-P/A) and two other members of Action by Churches Together (ACT) network working in Afghanistan -- Christian Aid (CA) and Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) - have recently conducted a rapid assessment of the effects of drought in seven provinces: Wardak, Bamiyan, Herat, Badghis, Faryab, Ghor and Farah in north-western, western and central regions of Afghanistan. The assessment revealed that food and water scarcity --both drinking and for irrigation -- has affected the population adversely.
The ACT Forum in Afghanistan has decided to launch a response to help the most vulnerable drought affected, with Church World Service and Christian Aid working on an upcoming appeal which will fully outline the planned activities.
The response is planned for the provinces of Wardak, Bamiyan Herat, Badghis, Faryab, Ghor and Farah and will focus on providing water, cash for work projects, fodder for livestock as well as other activities such as livelihood and psycho-social support.
There are also plans to create community assets such as water reservoirs and dams to minimize the impact of future drought in these areas.
Media Contact:
Lesley Crosson, CWS/New York, 212-870-2676;
Jan Dragin, 781-925-1526;
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