The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, last September 13, 2021 called for urgent assistance to help save Afghanistan's next wheat harvest, keep life-sustaining farm animals alive, and avoid a deterioration of the country's already severe humanitarian crises. FAO is seeking $36 million to speed up its support to Afghan farmers and ensure they will not miss the upcoming winter wheat planting season, and to assist the agriculture-based livelihoods of 3.5 million vulnerable Afghans until the end of the year.
The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, today (September 13, 2021) called for urgent assistance to help save Afghanistan's next wheat harvest, keep life-sustaining farm animals alive, and avoid a deterioration of the country's already severe humanitarian crises.
FAO is seeking $36 million to speed up its support to Afghan farmers and ensure they will not miss the upcoming winter wheat planting season, and to assist the agriculture-based livelihoods of 3.5 million vulnerable Afghans until the end of the year.
Some 70 percent of Afghans live in rural areas, with millions depending on agriculture for their livelihood. Over half of an average Afghan's daily caloric intake comes from wheat, most of which is domestically grown.
The political turmoil in the country comes on top of a severe drought and the lingering economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, meaning one in three Afghans - 14 million people - are already experiencing high acute food insecurity.
“Seven out of ten Afghans live in the remote and the rural areas. Severe drought, the economic effects of COVID-19, displacement, food insecurity and a fast-evolving cash crisis are all pushing rural households to collapse. The unfolding situation is causing significant new disruptions in terms of availability of cash, credit, labor, markets and agri-food inputs, threatening Afghanistan’s critical winter wheat season which is about to begin.” - QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General
QU told a High-Level Ministerial Meeting on the Humanitarian Situation in Afghanistan convened by UN Secretary-General António Guterres in Geneva.
FAO is also aiming to provide veterinary care and nutrition support to keep life-sustaining farm animals alive and productive, as well as deliver poultry and vegetable garden start-up kits that will allow families to feed themselves and earn supplemental incomes. Unconditional cash payments are given to highly vulnerable households headed by women, disabled persons and the elderly.
Without urgent support, farmers and pastoralists could lose their livelihoods and be forced to leave rural areas, adding further pressure to urban and peri-urban areas as internally displaced people (IDPs). The costs of assistance to IDPs are much higher than assisting them at their place of origin. For instance, with less than $150, a winter wheat seed package with fertilizer, certified seeds and training, can produce enough food to cover a family's needs for a year.
“We need action now. Without urgent and rapid assistance, farmers will miss this crucial planting season which is just starting. We also don't forget the livestock owners and herders. It takes between 3 and 5 years for farmers and herders to recover from the impact of a drought. The collapse of the agri-food systems will lead to enormous increases in hunger and malnutrition.” - QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General
Despite the current political turmoil, FAO has been able to continue operations in 28 out of the 31 provinces where it operates and aims to provide support to more than one million people in farming and livestock-owning families during the coming weeks.
FAO has already provided livelihood and cash assistance to over 1.9 million people so far this year. FAO has long-established relationships with a network of partners and financial institutions in Afghanistan, as well as with at-risk communities themselves.
With this appeal, FAO is seeking $21 million in urgent funding to fill a commitment gap in its humanitarian response, which currently totals $36 million.
“Under the Flash Appeal, FAO urgently requires 36 million US Dollars to support additional 3.5 million people over the next four months. FAO stands with the girls, boys, women and men - and farmers - of Afghanistan. We count on you to stand with us for the vulnerable, to ensure that no one is left behind.” - QU Dongyu, FAO Director-General
The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, convened the international community for the High-Level Ministerial Meeting to express solidarity with the people of Afghanistan and pledge tangible support to address their critical humanitarian needs.
Agricultural livelihood support to acutely food insecure people in Afghanistan
One in three people in Afghanistan is experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity due to the ongoing conflict, COVID-19 pandemic, high food prices and rampant unemployment. This food insecurity situation is expected to be deteriorated in the short-term. In addition to the widespread insecurity, the upcoming harvest in September is expected to be substantially below normal due to the current drought, triggered by the La Niña weather event. The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is working in Afghanistan with partners and the government to provide necessary livelihood assistance through agricultural inputs and agronomic training, as well as and life-saving cash assistance to the most vulnerable including farmers, pastoralists and families, to increase the resilience of their livelihoods and improve food and nutrition security.
One in three people in Afghanistan is experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity due to the ongoing conflict, COVID-19 pandemic, high food prices and rampant unemployment.
This food insecurity situation is expected to be deteriorated in the short-term. In addition to the widespread insecurity, the upcoming harvest in September is expected to be substantially below normal due to the current drought, triggered by the La Niña weather event.
The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is working in Afghanistan with partners and the government to provide necessary livelihood assistance through agricultural inputs and agronomic training, as well as and life-saving cash assistance to the most vulnerable including farmers, pastoralists and families, to increase the resilience of their livelihoods and improve food and nutrition s¬ecurity.
“We managed to support more than 150,000 families with different agricultural inputs, livestock inputs, and training and awareness raising, because we realize that you know there are other people as well as we saw that, you know, more and more people were becoming vulnerable and food insecure.”- Rajendra Kumar Aryal, FAO representative in Afghanistan
Khialy Gul, an Afghan farmer from Nawju Village, Kuz Kunar District, Nangarhar Province, was provided by FAO with quality seeds and fertilizers coupled with specific training on wheat cultivation practices to improve productivity.
“We received this support when we were in need. We have been supported with 50 kg of wheat, which is certified wheat seeds, 50 kg of urea and 50 kg of DAP fertilizers”.- Khialy Gul, wheat farmer
Livestock owners and pastoralists are provided with livestock supplies, training and veterinary support to keep their animals healthy. This is to prevent people from desperately selling their animals, which are their only source of income and food. Distress sale often leads to rural migration and worsen food security.
“These people have received two bags of animal feed to protect their livestock. People are very happy about this because that can feed their animals up to two or three months. Even if someone is relieved for at least three months, that is also a huge achievement.”- Malek Nemat Khan, representative of Kuchi community in Laghman
To minimize the impact of COVID-19 on economic activities, the various market stakeholders have been provided with awareness raising trainings including illustrated informational flyers and safety kits to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 in the markets. Body temperature was measured at the entrance gates to the marketplace and hand washing facilities were made available for everyone.
The measures have been implemented to ensure stable food supply in the markets. Farmers, livestock owners and pastoralists have an outlet to sell their products, and food systems are not disrupted.
“This support helped us greatly to control the disease. Shopkeepers stayed safe and customers visited and shopped with more confidence and safely.”- Mirwais Faizi, market manager
To improve people’s access to food and meet their most immediate basic needs, FAO has scaled up its programme to provide unconditional cash transfers to vulnerable landless labourers and marginal farming households in the most food-insecure provinces of Afghanistan. Families headed by women and disabled people are prioritized. In 2020, they accounted for 38 percent of the beneficiary households.
“We are six people in the family, but only one of my grandchildren is working in Iran. Our problem is that we can’t afford food and other essential goods.”- Nastaran, beneficiary
Nastaran’s family has been provided with an unconditional cash transfer of AFN 3,850 ( USD 50), an equivalent to 55 percent of the cost of the monthly food basket for a family of seven in the country.
“The cash given by FAO will be spent to purchase a sack of rice and bottle of oil or school stationery for my grandchildren.”- Nastaran, beneficiary
Despite the ongoing conflict, FAO is committed to continue delivering livelihood and cash assistance to those people most in need and to avoid a worsening of the food security situation.
“The main focus for FAO for 2021, we will continue our work, we continue with our commitment of staying and delivering. We are planning to target, almost 500,000 households in 2021 specially focusing on provinces with IPC Phase 3 and Phase 4 with agricultural inputs livestock inputs, training and so on”.- Rajendra Kumar Aryal, FAO representative in Afghanistan
The IPC Acute Food Insecurity (IPC AFI) classification measures the levels of food insecurity that threaten peoples or livelihoods of people. In particular, the IPC classification distinguishes five phases of acute food insecurity: (1) Minimal/None, (2) Stressed, (3) Crisis, (4) Emergency, (5) Catastrophe/Famine.
High levels of acute food insecurity start from IPC Phase 3, that is the crisis level.
FAO calls for increased efforts and investments to protect the most vulnerable people in Afghanistan.
FAO is currently providing assistance in Afghanistan thanks to the committed funding support of Denmark, the European Union humanitarian aid, Japan, Korea, United Nations humanitarian funding, Sida (Sweden’s government agency for development cooperation), and the USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance. Belgium and Germany have also been providing their funding to recent projects.
