In July 2008, rising food prices and lack of rain have resulted in around 450,000 urban and rural Afghan households unable to purchase food, with many likely to run out of stocks within a month.

Drought

Drought has caused the failure of crops in rain fed areas and even in irrigated sections the yield is minimal due to low availability of water in rivers and canals, affecting 18,152 families in the 73 villages.

While the whole country has been affected provinces in the north, west, central and north-eastern parts are especially suffering from a lack of rain in February and March this year.

Rising Food Prices

Food prices have also risen by 167 per cent since September 2007 and coupled with a limited harvest, this has resulted in an estimated 550,000 women and children under five at serious risk of malnutrition.

Afghanistan once produced over 90 per cent of its own food but this year it will only produced two-thirds of its domestic requirements, resulting in those affected desperately needing food and water, as well as feed for livestock.

The country was among the first in the world to feel the impact of the dramatic rise in global food prices in 2007. 

Wheat production in Afghanistan decreased 36 percent from 2007 to 2008 and neighbouring countries have closed their borders, restricting exports.

Aid

Working with ECHO and WFP, ActionAid will be acting to reach 22,860 households in Balkh and Jawzjan provinces, providing free food for families headed by women and the disabled, as well as providing food for work and cash for work programmes.

The charity has allocated $727,500, plus food costs to help prevent the situation deteriorating in coming weeks as food stocks run out.