In Afghanistan, the ongoing humanitarian crisis escalates as aid cuts and restrictions on female workers exacerbate food insecurity. Over the past three years, the operating environment in Afghanistan has been described as a "roller coaster," with many citizens now living on just "bread and tea." The World Food Programme (WFP) is striving to assure donors that they continue to reach female beneficiaries and their children, despite mounting obstacles. However, the situation remains dire, particularly as the Taliban's directives for female NGO workers to cease work pose significant challenges, even though some humanitarian organizations have secured exemptions.
On Friday, the US State Department issued a "stop-work" order, halting all existing foreign assistance and pausing new aid. This decision follows an aid allocation review ordered by former President Donald Trump. Consequently, Afghanistan's humanitarian plan for 2024 is only slightly over half-funded, with fears that funding could diminish further this year.
“That’s over 6 million people who are probably eating one or two meals a day and it’s just bread and tea,” said Hsiao-Wei Lee.
The challenges are compounded by global emergencies and Taliban-imposed restrictions on women, which Western diplomats and humanitarian officials cite as reasons for the declining aid. Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court prosecutor seeks arrest warrants for two Taliban leaders, including supreme spiritual leader Haibatullah Akhundzada, accusing them of persecuting women and girls.
Roughly half of the 15 million Afghans in acute need of food are not receiving rations this harsh winter due to funding cuts. The WFP can currently assist only half of those in need because of international aid reductions and anticipated cuts in US foreign funding. Afghanistan teetered on the brink of economic crisis in 2021 when the Taliban assumed control, prompting the freezing of all development and security assistance and imposing restrictions on the banking sector.
“Unfortunately this is what the situation looks like for so many that have been removed from assistance,” remarked Hsiao-Wei Lee.
Donor fatigue persists, with contributions dwindling steadily due to apprehensions about Taliban policies on women and competing global crises. This presents a significant hurdle for organizations like the WFP, which must navigate these complexities while attempting to mitigate the increasing food shortages.
“I think any potential reduction in assistance for Afghanistan is of course concerning…whether it is assistance to WFP or another actor,” expressed Hsiao-Wei Lee.
