10/25/2021 Afghanistan (International Christian Concern) – Afghanistan’s economy is teetering on the edge of near complete collapse. The country’s food shortage is having an impact on the ground already, with people lining up for aid that currently can mostly give only sacks of flour and salt. The impact of the food shortages is hitting first and foremost, with the most vulnerable being young children. These warnings were sounded by UN officials alongside calls to unfreeze funds that would go to help the Afghan population.
David Beasley, who serves as the Executive Director for the World Food Programme, said that 22.8 million people, which is more than half of Afghanistan’s population numbering 39 million – were facing severe food insecurity and “marching to starvation.” This number is dramatically higher than just two months ago, which was estimated to be 14 million.
“Children are going to die. People are going to starve. Things are going to get a lot worse,” Beasley said. “I don’t know how you don’t have millions of people, and especially children, dying at the rate we are going with the lack of funding and the collapsing of the economy.”
In the wake of the disastrous and poorly executed withdrawal of United States troops under the Biden administration, Afghanistan fell quickly to the Taliban, sparking massive panic and running to the airports by scared Afghans. The economy in Afghanistan immediately began to take a turn for the worse as food prices began surging.
“What we are predicting is coming true much faster than we anticipated. Kabul fell faster than anybody anticipated, and the economy is falling faster than that,” Beasley continued.
The international community has been watching the Taliban regime closely as they installed their extremely hardline interim government to lead the country through what is quickly becoming a cataclysmic humanitarian disaster for the region.
This disaster is making reality much worse for the Christian community of Afghanistan. Already deemed as an apostate by the Taliban due to their conversion from Islam to Christianity, the 8,000-to-12,000-member community is faced with a future that is not only mired with promises of persecution but with mass starvation.
The international community cannot ignore this disaster, especially the Christian community of Afghanistan. The time for action is now.
For interviews, contact Addison Parker: press@persecution.org
