FAO seeks $36m to save agriculture in Afghanistan

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has sought $36 million to speed up its support to Afghan farmers and assist livelihoods of 3.5 million vulnerable Afghans until the end of the year.

In a statement released on Monday, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said the funds will be used to help save Afghanistan’s next wheat harvest, keep life-sustaining farm animals alive, and avoid a deterioration of the country’s already severe humanitarian crisis.

According to the UN, almost 70 per cent people live in rural areas while millions of Afghans depend on agriculture to for their livelihood and wheat meet up the demand of their daily caloric support.

Moreover, FAO also aims to provide veterinary care and nutrition support to keep life-sustaining farm animals alive and productive, as well as deliver poultry and vegetable garden start-up kits that will allow families to feed themselves and earn supplemental incomes, the statement added.

Despite the current political turmoil, FAO has been able to continue operations in 28 out of the 31 provinces where it operates and aims to provide support to more than one million people in farming and livestock-owning families during the coming weeks.

FAO has already provided livelihood and cash assistance to over 1.9 million people so far this year. FAO has long-established relationships with a network of partners and financial institutions in Afghanistan, as well as with at-risk communities themselves, the statement said.