(Ottawa) As the first snowflakes blanketed the Afghan capital of Kabul earlier this month, Mary-Ellen McGroarty pondered the harsh winter looming on the horizon and COVID-19 was far on her priority list.
Unlike much of the rest of the world, where concerns about the Omicron variant and the fifth wave of the pandemic are taking hold, Afghans are much more worried about the famine hitting their country, said Mr.me McGroarty director of the World Food Program in Afghanistan.
“It’s snowing in Kabul today. It’s incredibly cold, it’s lamentable, ”she said in a recent interview from the Afghan capital.
“Whenever I go out and talk to people, the two talking points are, ‘How am I going to feed my children? ”And“ How will I keep my children warm this winter? ””, She testified.
Four months after Taliban militias overthrew the Western-backed government, famine and malnutrition threaten an estimated 23 million citizens, more than half of the country’s entire population.
This famine is caused by the collapse of the economy which resulted in uncontrolled inflation and the fall in the value of the currency. This means that the food, oil and fuel needed to heat homes have become downright unaffordable for many people.
The World Food Program and other international agencies still present in Afghanistan say it will take at least US $ 220 million per month to feed the vulnerable population and get through the crisis. They add that the appeal for donations from foreign governments and private donors is urgent.
Canada announced last week that it was contributing $ 56 million in humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. A donation pledged in response to the appeal for help from the United Nations and the International Red Cross. This amount was in addition to a previous commitment by Canada to pay $ 57 million this year.
“Millions of people are in urgent need of assistance across Afghanistan and I will do everything possible to provide them with the assistance they need,” said Minister of International Development Harjit Sajjan, who carried out three missions there as part of the Canadian Armed Forces.
According to the director of World Vision in Afghanistan, Asuntha Charles, COVID-19 is really relegated to the background in the region of Herat, in the west of the country.
Masks are scarce in the country’s third largest city and Mme Charles, she must regularly remind her staff that there is still a pandemic raging and that they are enforcing preventive measures.
Last September, a quarter of the country’s 37 hospitals were closed while monitoring the pandemic, screening tests and vaccination were neglected. At that time, we were aiming for a vaccination rate of 20% of the population by the end of the year. According to the most recent data, barely 10% of the population received two doses.
According to Mme Charles, no one is talking about COVID-19 in Afghanistan. The health system has collapsed, there is no more medication for the children and the hospitals can no longer even heat themselves.
Malnutrition is on the rise, insists the director of World Vision, reporting that parents are trying to sell their children for adoption abroad or sell their organs to support their families.
In Kabul, the cold winter air thickens with the pollution generated by the garbage can fires that people set to warm themselves, observes Mary-Ellen McGroarty.
The clientele for emergency food aid programs has also changed in the capital, she says. More and more new faces are emerging, including middle-class families, female-run households and farmers stricken by crop failures.
Mme McGroarty says he hopes the spirit of Christmas and the season of good deeds will lead to more donations to help this population in need.
“We cannot condemn children, the future of this country, to hunger and famine, simply because of the birth lottery,” she laments.
In Herat, Asuntha Charles recounts having recently visited a family of five children whose parents had managed to find carrots at the market. The family ate it morning, noon and night.
That example, she said, should stay ahead of Canadians when they find themselves in front of tables full of several mouthwatering dishes.
“Maybe Christmas could be a little more meaningful for Canadians if they can think of Afghans and contribute so that the children have something to eat on their plate,” she hopes.