World Food Program to provide assistance to 1.3 mn people across Afghanistan

Kabul [Afghanistan]: The World Food Program (WFP) has said it will provide critical food assistance to more than 1.3 million acutely food insecure people across Afghanistan for up to one year through the funding which it received from the Asian Development Bank, TOLO News reported.

TOLO News is an Afghan news channel broadcasting from Kabul.

The Asian Development Bank earlier announced that it approved USD 400 million in grants to protect the welfare and livelihoods of vulnerable Afghan people, particularly women and girls, and ease the adverse impact of the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

The ADB added that a USD 100 million grant will go to the WFP.

The UN's Food Agency meanwhile welcomed the contribution by the Asian Development Bank and said that a "special focus will be on widow- and women-headed households and other highly vulnerable groups like people with disabilities or families surviving solely on begging."

WFP recently claimed that Afghan women are in danger of losing their final lifeline as a result of budget cuts, Khaama Press reported.

The World Food Programme tweeted that due to the funding cut, one million women and their children will no longer get nutritional support.

According to the official of the Emergency of WFP in Afghanistan, "Women are being gradually excluded from social life every day, with minimal opportunities for livelihood and nutrition for their offspring," Khaama Press reported.