According to the UN Secretary-General´s spokesperson Stépane Dujarric, there is also a need to address water scarcity in Afghanistan to prevent displacement and reduce hunger. Nine million Afghan people were in need of water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance at the beginning of 2021.

Dujarric echoed a report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), warning that Afghanistan is already facing a food insecurity and malnutrition crisis.

The 2021 harvest is expected to be below average and the next lean season is expected to be more intense and arrive earlier. As an economic crisis looms, job opportunities also remain limited across the country, according to OCHA.

Together with other humanitarian partners, the UN has been working to respond to the impacts of low rainfall on water availability, crop yields, agricultural job opportunities and access to food since the beginning of the year, Dujarric said.

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) claimed that there is now a displacement crisis in Afghanistan, with more than 600 people in that condition, 80% of them are women and children.

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