By: Shukria Kohistani
Afghanistan Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) has informed of lack of food security among Afghan citizens in the country. This comes amid increasing poverty and insecurities across the country.
A number of Afghans in their interviews with The Kabul Times say increasing violence and surge in Taliban attacks across the country have affected their life. According to Afghan citizens, recent clashes between Afghan security forces and Taliban fighters have displaced thousands of families who are now facing with serious lack of food security.
Currently, more than 40 percent of the country’s population is facing with lack of food security. This number of people is facing with increasing poverty caused by continued war in the country. Lack of food security is considered as a serious concern. In the meantime, continued fighting and violence in the country have faced the population with lack of food.
Food security experts at ministry of agriculture, irrigation and livestock say wheat is the main food item in Afghanistan as the wheat bread maintains 57 percent of calories in food packages of poor Afghan families. Afghanistan has faced with lack of wheat although the country has produced enough wheat in recent years.
On the other hand, reduction in domestic products has caused that Afghanistan imports most of its food needs from outside, causing that the price of most foodstuffs is getting double in Afghan markets. Meanwhile, lack of access to food has resulted in serious poverty among most Afghan families in the country. Increasing poverty and destruction of public infrastructures and continued fighting in local cities have recently changed to big obstacle for Afghans to get access to food.
According to Afghan citizens, lack of food security and low attention to health and good nutrition are considered as key obstacles towards social and economic development in a society.
Meanwhile, minister of agriculture, irrigation and livestock Anwarul Haq Ahadai, speaking in the United Nations Food Security Summit (UNFSS) said currently millions of people are facing with lack of food around the world.
He said that Afghans are in front line of lack of food security in their country, considering that maintaining sustainable food for the Afghan population was in top priorities of Afghanistan government.
“There is possibility of increasing poverty and lack of food security in Afghanistan due to continued war and drought in the country,” Ahadi said, stressing that the government will pay considerable attention to development of agriculture and maintenance of food in the country. Ahadi further said that the ministry of agriculture, irrigation and livestock was working to renovate the country’s agriculture as improved seeds have been distributed to the Afghan farmers and new ways of gardening and horticulture have been promoted among owners of orchards in the country. He considered that all these programs of the ministry would help reduce poverty.
Minister of agriculture, irrigation and livestock added that an independent department of food has been created to ensure food security in the country.
It is worth mentioning that food security needs to be maintained in the country so that the people can have easily access to various sources of food .
