WFP reaches 7. 9m Afghans with ration, cash last month

KABUL (Pajhwok): The World Food Programme (WFP) provided food and cash assistance to 7.9 million needy Afghans last month, the world’s largest humanitarian organization said on Wednesday.

With a grim funding outlook preventing it from reaching millions in need, WFP said the assistance to the Afghans was aimed at preventing malnutrition and reaching students with on site and take-home ration support.

In January, WFP reached 7.9 million people through inkind, cash-based transfers and nutritional assistance out of a planned 8.2 million (91 percent of target for the month).

WFP faced several supply chain challenges which have now been resolved.

WFP reached 6.9 million people with general food assistance and cash-based transfers

To overcome a shortage in wheat soy blend (WSB+) due to supply chain issues, WFP prioritized the implementation of a targeted supplementary feeding programme (TSFP) over a blanket supplementary feeding programme (BSFP) in certain districts, reaching 1.7 million pregnant women and girls and children.

WFP reached 392,243 boys and girls attending primary schools and community-based education with on-site and take-home ration support.

The UN agency has recently said it urgently needed 760 million US dollars to continue its operations in Afghanistan for next six months.

hz/ma