Afghanistan: Citizens of Bamyan province irked by 'unjust' aid distribution

The people of Afghanistan's Bamyan province have complained about the injustice and corruption in the distribution of humanitarian assistance by donor agencies, according to a media report.

The people of Afghanistan's Bamyan province have complained about the injustice and corruption in the distribution of humanitarian assistance by donor agencies, according to a media report. Citing Pajhwok Afghan News, The Frontier Post quoting a resident of Bamyan reported that there was injustice in the distribution of aid in the province.

"The people who had relatives or friends in aid organisations had been declared eligible for receiving aid," Hussain, the resident said. "I have not received any aid so far. Only a small number of people got assistance from World Food Programme (WFP), Department of Refugees and Repatriation and National Disaster Management Authority," he added.

Hussain also maintained: "There is brazen corruption in the aid distribution process in Bamyan," He also complained about escalating food prices and unemployment. Afghanistan which has suffered from malnutrition for decades is witnessing a worsening hunger crisis in recent months.

This winter, an estimated 22.8 million people -- more than half the population -- are expected to face potentially life-threatening levels of food insecurity, according to an analysis by the United Nations World Food Program and Food and Agriculture Organization. Of those, 8.7 million people are nearing famine -- the worst stage of a food crisis, said The New York Times.

Quoting Bakhtawar and Masuma another resident, The Frontier Post reported: "A few days ago, a family in our neighbourhood sold their 30-month-old child due to poverty and starvation. Our children are also at risk of starvation." The women claimed they had been insulted, humiliated and even beaten by the forces of the Islamic Emirate in their struggle to get help from donors, it added.

The International Crisis Group (ICG) in recent published report said that if the international community does not scale up economic support, more Afghans may die of hunger and starvation in the current crisis than from the fighting in the past 20 years. "Hunger and destitution following the Taliban's takeover of the country seem poised to kill more Afghans than all the bombs and bullets of the past two decades," the report read.

As per the ICG report, the Taliban's inability to run a modern economy and the decision of foreign donors to cut off all but emergency aid are the main reasons behind the economic and humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. (ANI)

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)