World | Afghanistan

UN distributes food to Afghans as wheat prices soar

The UN World Food Programme has begun distributing several thousand tons of food to Afghans hit by high prices of wheat flour, an official said on Monday.

  • AP
  • Published: 16:27 April 14, 2008
  • Gulf News

Kabul: The UN World Food Programme has begun distributing several thousand tons of food to Afghans hit by high prices of wheat flour, an official said on Monday.

The organisation started delivering 30,000 metric tons of wheat, pulses, vegetable oil and salt around Afghanistan about five weeks ago, and plans to distribute 58,000 more metric tons by midsummer.

Rick Corsino, the head of WFP in Afghanistan, said, "We're trying to target the most vulnerable, the most needy segment of the population."

That includes households headed by women and disabled people, and large families supported by only one income, he said.

WFP has reached about 400,000 people so far but said it needed $78 million in contributions to help feed more than 2.5 million vulnerable Afghans.

The price of wheat flour went up an average of 60 per cent across Afghanistan last year. Prices have been rising around the globe because of a worldwide shortage of food staples.

The current distribution is aimed at satisfying food needs before Afghanistan's main harvest this summer, but the UN says the soaring food prices that have sparked unrest
around the world are likely to persist despite an expected increase in production.

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