Starvation Continues in Remote Areas of Afghanistan

While widespread famine may have been averted because of an outpouring of humanitarian food shipments into Afghanistan during the past four months, starvation still appears likely for some Afghans. According to the Associated Press, in the remote villages in the mountain region of Abdullah Gan, people continue to live with inadequate resources and have resorted to eating grass mixed with barley flour. Of those who have not already died, many are suffering from diarrhea, hacking cough, and other conditions brought on by starvation. A forty-two year old man told an Associated Press reporter, “We are waiting to die.”

Aid workers have had difficulty shipping food into remote regions of Afghanistan, as many of these villages are far from accessible roads. Security concerns also continue to hamper relief efforts. Andrew Natsios, administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has indicated that emergency relief may be necessary.

Media Resources: Associated Press, 1/7/02; UN Wire, 1/4/02; New York Times, 1/4/02

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