Highlights
In response to the influx of Afghan returnees from Pakistan, WFP is preparing an Emergency Operation (EMOP) from October to June 2017 to provide food assistance to 548,000 people, covering documented and undocumented returnees, newly-affected internally displaced persons (IDPs), and refugees from Pakistan. WFP requires USD 67 million for timely food and cash assistance to these vulnerable people.
For the 2016/2017 winter, WFP will pre-position 5,297 mt of food for 152,227 people in high elevation areas, where access becomes difficult during winter
WFP Assistance
The Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation (PRRO) aims to respond to the food security and nutritional needs of severely food-insecure people in Afghanistan. This includes internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees, refugees, and those affected by conflict, natural disaster and economic stress. WFP’s nutrition support aims to treat moderate acute malnutrition in children under five years of age, pregnant women and nursing mothers.
In 2016, WFP plans to assist 3.9 million people with 126,000 mt of food under activities including general distributions (food, and/or cash-based transfers); nutrition programmes, through targeted supplementary feeding; school take-home rations; disaster risk reduction and assets creation, and vocational training activities.
Under its Purchase for Progress (P4P) programme, WFP aims to increase production, productivity, and encourage market development in Afghanistan through the local purchase of fortified wheat flour.
WFP Afghanistan is seeking to extend the PRRO for another 18 months as well as adjusting its impact through a budget revision. WFP will maintain its strong emergency response for IDPs, as well as refocus its assets creation activities with a stronger disaster risk reduction approach.
The budget revision is expected to be approved in November 2016.
The United Nations Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) operation provides air transport services for the wider humanitarian community throughout Afghanistan. The UNHAS currently operates three fixed wing aircraft serving 14 major locations, and a helicopter serving 11 locations inaccessible to fixed wing aircraft. Overall, the UNHAS operation serves 25 locations and supports 160 humanitarian organizations in delivering assistance. In 2015, UNHAS played a critical role in the IDP crisis response, including relocating 270 humanitarian personnel, who were affected by the conflict, to safe locations.
Under the revised Strategic Grain Reserve (SGR) programme, led by the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock, WFP will support to increase the national emergency response capacity and facilitate the stabilisation of wheat prices, providing storage options to farmers and reducing post-harvest losses.