World Food Programme warns of growing hunger in Afghanistan

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that Afghan people are facing hunger in the war-torn country.

A United Nations assessment of the food security and nutrition situation in Afghanistan finds one in three Afghans face acute food insecurity. That means an estimated 14 million people in the war-torn country are barely able to meet their daily minimum food needs, reported Voice of America (VOA).

Because of the dire situation, the World Food Program said that malnutrition levels are soaring, and some 2 million children need nutrition treatment to survive.

WFP spokesman Tomson Phiri said that the Afghan people are facing both an artificial and natural disaster, rendering them unable to feed their families. He stated that a poor harvest is projected as the country has been hit by a second drought in four years, reported VOA.

"We fear the worst is yet to come and a larger tide of hunger is fast approaching," Phiri said, adding that "It is not a secret the situation has worsened and is becoming increasingly unpredictable. The conflict has accelerated much faster than we all anticipated. And the situation has all the hallmarks of a humanitarian catastrophe."

As the hunger levels and suffering of the Afghan people are growing, Phiri said the WFP has provided food aid to more than 4 million people in the last three months.

Earlier today, Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani left the country for Tajikistan, after the Taliban entered the gates of the capital city Kabul.

( With inputs from ANI )