Bo Asplund, acting special representative of the secretary-general said that "This joint appeal is on behalf of 425,000 extremely poor Afghan families, who otherwise will be unable to meet their most basic need - that of food - especially during the current harsh winter months, until the next harvest season."

"Afghanistan faces so many hardships – and now global increases in the price of wheat mean that bread, the basic staple of the Afghan diet, is out of reach for millions of Afghanis," said Rick Corsino, WFP Country Director in Afghanistan. "We must act now to keep wheat and bread affordable for Afghanis living in both cities and rural areas where domestic production is not enough to satisfy needs."

"It can take three to five months to translate a donation into food assistance on the ground, so urgent donations are urgently needed," said Corsino.

The government of Afghanistan, the World Food Programme (WFP), the World Health Organisation (WHO), and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) jointly appeal to the International Community to meet the urgent need for food aid to Afghans suffering from severe malnutrition.

(Agencies/WFP Press Release)