Agency says food is getting through
War on Terrorism: Aid
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Fighting is impeding deliveries of food aid to hunger-stricken areas of Afghanistan, but the World Food Programme is now meeting its monthly target to feed the estimated six million people in need.
In a generally upbeat assessment, the executive director of the WFP, Catherine Bertini, said the organisation had dramatically increased aid shipments into Afghanistan in recent weeks, as more lorries had been made available and new routes had opened up from neighbouring countries.
"We're winning the struggle to deliver food into Afghanistan," Ms Bertini said. "We had been facing major challenges over the past weeks in terms of insecurity on the ground and the onset of winter, but we've pulled out all the stops and we're managing to push the large quantities of food needed into Afghanistan."
She said lorries were now able to use land routes from Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Iran and Pakistan, as well as barge route from Termez in Uzbekistan. The WFP had also airlifted food from its warehouses in Quetta, in Pakistan, to the Central Asian republics to exploit the opening of new routes from the north after the flight of the Taliban from Mazar-i-Sharif
Speaking in London, Ms Bertini said that the WFP had managed to get 52,000 tonnes of food into Afghanistan in the month to 15 November, meeting its target for the first time. The WFP has raised its estimates of the numbers requiring assistance from 3.8 to six million since 11 September.
Last month, the WFP had appealed for US$257m (£180m) to ensure supplies to Afghanistan for six months. So far, it had received about 60 per cent of the total. Ms Bertini said Britain had made £3m available on 12 September, and had just pledged another £3m.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments