KABUL, Afghanistan—The United Nations and Afghanistan's government launched a $400 million food aid appeal Wednesday to help feed 4.5 million vulnerable Afghans.
The worldwide rise in food prices coupled with a poor harvest and drought in the country is affecting 450,000 Afghan households, a U.N. said in a statement.
The funds would also be used to provide safe drinking water, promote good hygiene in drought-affected communities and improve disease control where it is weak, the statement said.
Last year Afghanistan was able to produce over 90 percent of its own food. The harvest for this year is forecast to be around only two-thirds of domestic need. Around two million tons of grain will have to be imported.
Afghanistan is reliant on aid and imports to help fill its food deficit, so it is particularly vulnerable to increased international prices driven by growing demand from China and India and the use of grain to make bio-fuel.
The main source of Afghan food imports, Pakistan, is suffering its own wheat shortages and has imposed stiff controls on exports to Afghanistan, forcing prices higher.
