UN completes 1st phase of food supplies operation to Panjsher

ISLAMABAD (NNI): The United Nations World Food Programme has successfully completed first phase of emergency food supply to thousands of stranded people in the opposition-controlled Panjsher valley, a UN spokesperson said Tuesday.

Five relief convoys with wheat and clothing have reached the valley after crossing front lines and their distribution is now underway among 8000 displaced families, Stephanie Bunker told a news conference.

Bunker said the two sides--Taliban and the forces of opposition commander Ahmed Shah Masood--fully cooperated with the UN relief efforts and hoped that this gesture would lead to the opening of dialogue between the two sides for restoration of peace in the war-torn country.

She said the supply of goods including 750 metric tons of wheat provided by the World Food Programme and 8,000 blankets, 11,000 sweaters and 6000 quilts at the mouth of the Panjsher valley completed two days ago, and their distribution is now underway among the displaced persons.

The aid was part of a planned 5,000 tones the United Nations hopes to send to the valley to help an estimated 60,000 people displaced by fighting between Taliban and Masoods forces in July-August. Fierce battle had forced nearly 100,000 Afghans of Kapisa and Parwan provinces to migrate to the opposition held Panjsher valley and Taliban held Kabul.

The UN spokesperson said mines were removed from the land route, from Kabul to Panjsher, to take the supplies through the frontlines. She said more supplies would also be sent to the area in the coming months.

She said some NGOs are also involved to provide help to the displaced persons in rebuilding shelters. They have so far repaired 1170 shelters and constructed about 500 new houses for the displaced families.

The UN spokesperson said although there are over 21000 recently displaced people in Kabul but the UN was supplying food and other items to about 16000 people housed in a diplomatic compound as they have no other relative in the city.

To a question about the shortage of food in Afghanistan after the imposition of UN sanction, Bunker said they have noted less arrivals of trucks in Kabul after Pakistan tightened security on the borders between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

She said international community cannot make up the deficit of food in Afghanistan and pointed out that there was less production of serial in Afghanistan by about 16 per cent this year which resulted in future difficulties. She said most of the food requirements of Afghanistan are usually met from Pakistan.

The World Food Programme (WFP) Friday warned that millions of poor Afghans in urban and rural areas may not be able to get enough food to feed their families if the price of wheat does not decrease significantly.

In a statement, the WFP officials expressed extreme concern about the increasing cost of wheat in Afghanistan, which follows a bad harvest, the reduction of trade across the Afghan border, and speculation in Afghan markets.

Prices have continuously increased since the beginning of October and reached their highest level in the second week of December. The aid community will be able to meet the entire food needs of millions of Afghan people. Pakistan is the major wheat supplier to Afghanistan.

Currently home to the largest number of food insecure people of any Afghan city, Kabul is another area of concern. There, WFP is assisting 266,000 vulnerable people through the bakery projects and 13,000 newly arrived IDPs in the former Russian compound.

Only an increase in food supplies from neighbouring countries will reduce wheat prices and prevent a major threat to vulnerable Afghans, said the statement.