The World Food Program (WFP) is running out of money to provide food assistance to Afghanistan. The organization’s country director for Afghanistan, Hsiao-Wei Lee, told Reuters that the WFP’s budget for food aid will end by the end of October.
Currently, the WFP is only able to provide food assistance to 5 million people in Afghanistan. Lee said that the WFP needs $1 billion in funding to continue providing food assistance to the country’s 15 million vulnerable people.
WFP has already reduced rations and cash assistance for 8 million people in Afghanistan this year. The reductions are expected to start in August and continue until October.
Lee stressed that even if the WFP is forced to make cuts, it will remain in Afghanistan to carry out its other work, such as nutrition projects.
She also acknowledged that restrictions on women were a “valid concern”, but she also highlighted that around half of the WFP’s beneficiaries were women and girls, and the organization was still able to reach them.
