I. OVERVIEW
1. A WFP vehicle with WFP staff
members on a monitoring mission about 40 kms from Kabul was targeted by
an IED which fortunately failed to detonate, avoiding sure loss of life.
Three days later, at almost the same location, 4 Afghan NGO health
personnel died after an IED exploded. The situation remains volatile
in the east and south. There have also been threats of rockets against
air operations.
2. Regional Director visits Afghanistan and appeals for resources as a total wheat pipeline break is expected in late July early August. WFP is appealing for around 40,000 MT of food, of which 25,000 MT of wheat for the strategically important winterization programme. Without this programme approximately 2.5 million Afghans will be at risk during the harsh winter. The Regional Director met with high level government officials, visited WFP supported activities in the field and consulted with ambassadors on WFP's lack of resources to support vulnerable Afghans.
II. IMPLEMENTATION AND OPERATIONS UPDATE
Floods in the northeastern Badakhshan province affected over 130 families (nearly 800 people). According to the Provincial Disaster Management Committee, floods in this remote province have destroyed several houses and shops in Tishkan, Darayim and Argo districts. In response, WFP provided 15 MT of food for 130 stranded families who lost their houses and other properties in the recent disaster to meet their immediate food needs. On 21 May, Government counterparts and UN agencies met in Hirat to coordinate their response to the recent floods in Chaghcharan, center of the western Ghor province that affected 150 families and killed nine people. WFP is on standby and will release food once the assessment of damage is completed.
From 18 to 24 May, WFP assisted 360,000 beneficiaries with 1,370 MT of food through school feeding, food for work, assistance to TB patients and their families, literacy and vocational training programmes.