I. SITUATION UPDATE
The security situation remained relatively calm throughout most of the country.
The adverse weather conditions across the country particularly in the north, centre and the west, continued to hamper humanitarian operations in these areas.
II. IMPLEMENTATION AND OPERATIONS UPDATE
During the reporting period, 442,100 beneficiaries received 3,350 MT of food across the country.
EMERGENCY RESPONSE:
WFP is joining hands with the Government, United Nations agencies and other partners to combat the acute food insecurities arising from extreme weather conditions in several parts of the country. Highly affected areas include central Ghor and southern Zabul and Uruzgan provinces, where thousands of vulnerable people are cut off from rest of the country due to road closures as a result of heavy and prolonged snowfalls.
Efforts continue to assist food insecure population in severely affected districts of Shahrak, Tulak, Pasaband and Taywara of Ghor. Catholic Relief Services (CRS), an international NGO, and WFP have succeeded to reach Shahrak by road and started food distribution in the area. WFP in collaboration with the Government and the coalition forces will soon launch food airdrops in areas inaccessible due to bad road conditions.
In Zabul, nearly 5,500 families in some of the worst affected districts received emergency food assistance. Food was airlifted to the remote areas using military helicopters. Furthermore, 240 families were assisted in Chora and Khas Uruzgan districts of Uruzgan province.
To help reopen the land routes in Ghor, WFP in partnership with the Department of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (DRRD) has mobilized some 600 workers through food-for-work projects to remove snow from blocked roads and allow aid convoys to get through. Snow cleaning projects are also underway in the central Ghazni province.
In response to the current emergency situation, WFP has assisted 50,000 of the most vulnerable people in the affected areas.
LOGISTICS ISSUES
Food commodities transported during the week amount to 6,510 MT, including 1,950 MT from points of discharge to hubs and 4,560 MT from hubs into Afghanistan.
870 MT of yellow split peas arrived at Karachi Port in Pakistan on 18 February.
IV. OTHER SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
COLLABORATION WITH COMMUNITIES, GOVERNMENT, NGOs and OTHER UN AGENCIES
Under a food-for-work project recently completed in Spin Boldak district of Kandahar, six springs, three check-dams and 12 karezes (underground irrigation channels) were rehabilitated. Food-for-work interventions aim to enhance agricultural production and improve community access to social services through construction or rehabilitation of communal infrastructure.