Afghanistan Faces Food Shortages in Wake of Drought, Conflict
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The dwindling foodstocks of famlies across Afghanistan put the war-torn country at still greater risk. Emergency food supplies are essential to the 450,000 households unnable to buy food. However, a long term investment in agriculture is essential to break the cycle of hunger for rural families in Afghanistan.
In June of 2008, countries supporting Afghanistan's recovery met in Paris and agreed to invest more money in developing agriculture in the war-torn country. So far, most of the money is channeled through private consulting firms contracted by USAID. None of the funding is available to communities or local farmers to reestablish their livelihoods. The only ready source of income from this aid for community members is to work eradicating poppy. This work is dangerous and it takes workers away from growing the food that their communities and their families desperately need.
Families living in rural areas are desperately poor and Afghanistan's mountainous landscape only makes life harder. Many of the poorest people are farmers, but have just a scrap of land on which to eke out a living. Recently, drought has made their job next to impossible - and 7 million people are at risk of food shortages.
Drought has hit the poorest people hardest. Fifty percent of Afghanistan's children are malnourished. In the best possible circumstances, it would be difficult for their parents to grow or buy enough food to offer them a healthy diet. Quite simply, they are too poor. But their task becomes impossible when they are hit by natural disasters like drought or earthquakes.
Our challenge is to offer people the support they need to build a more robust livelihood - so they have the resources they need to survive such setbacks.
Poor farmers need our support to get better seeds, tools and livestock. In addition, we need to encourage women to play their part in fighting poverty. Many are weavers, but currently earn little for their work.
Copyright © ActionAid
We have helped many poor people rebuild their livelihood. In 14 villages in Samangan Province, for example, we have distributed livestock to many poor families - or given them the seeds they need to grow crops. With a sheep, a calf and some new chickens, they can begin a new life. We have supported poor people as they take up other income generating activities. For example, we helped a group of women buy sewing machines so that they could make and sell clothes.
Our aim is to help even more people work their way free of poverty. It's an area of ActionAid's work where just a small amount of help can make all the difference. For example, it costs just $300 to provide a family with four animals (sheep and goats). By breeding them and selling their produce, these animals will provide them with a precious source of income for months and years to come.
Help ActionAid get supplies and support to local farmers with your donation.
