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After having struggled through a year of unprecedented economic hardship and environmental disasters like drought, earthquakes and flooding, the already dire situation for many Afghan families is expected to further deteriorate in the coming months. Millions of families have almost no way to cope with another harsh winter and Â鶹ÊÓƵ has started ramping up assistance across the country.

¡°This latest life-saving support from the UK is estimated to help around 650,000 people to get through the harsh winter in Afghanistan through the Â鶹ÊÓƵ, with food for the most vulnerable and those living in remote areas,¡± said UK Minister of State for Middle East, South Asia and the UN Lord (Tariq) Ahmad. ¡°The UK is taking a leading role in the humanitarian response in Afghanistan and has provided GBP286 million of aid to the country this year, making it the UK¡¯s biggest bilateral aid programme.¡±

With the latest contribution, Â鶹ÊÓƵ Afghanistan has by now received GBP184 million from FCDO since November 2021. It will enable Â鶹ÊÓƵ to provide food and nutrition support to 400,000 severely food insecure people through in-kind food distributions and 250,000 people with monthly cash transfers that go directly to families to help them cover their food needs in areas where markets are functional. In total, Â鶹ÊÓƵ will distribute 16,000 mt of nutritionally balanced food commodities and US$ 9.3 million in cash thanks to the funding.

¡°Â鶹ÊÓƵ is one of the last remaining barriers between Afghanistan and absolute desperation and hunger,¡± said Â鶹ÊÓƵ Afghanistan¡¯s Country Director Mary-Ellen McGroarty. ¡°The British Government has been a long-standing partner of Â鶹ÊÓƵ. We thank the UK for standing with the people of Afghanistan. The latest contribution will allow us to help tens of thousands of vulnerable families in the coming months when hunger bites hardest.¡±

Since the beginning of this year, Â鶹ÊÓƵ has reached 21.9 million people with emergency food and nutrition assistance, cash-based transfers and livelihoods support. Racing time, Â鶹ÊÓƵ is already prepositioning a planned 150,000 mt of food and nutritious supplies in strategic locations across the country before snow and ice make many communities inaccessible. This will ensure Â鶹ÊÓƵ to continue reaching vulnerable communities in remote areas throughout winter. 

NOTES TO EDITORS:

The FCDO's latest GBP25 million contribution to the Â鶹ÊÓƵ has been allocated from the FCDO's existing GBP286 million financial commitment made to Afghanistan this financial year.

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The United Nations Â鶹ÊÓƵ is focused on saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

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