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U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
FACT SHEET
WASHINGTON, DC 20523
PRESS OFFICE
http://www.usaid.gov
(202) 712-43201004-093
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 4, 2001Contact: USAID Press Office
FY '01 and FY '02 (to date) Funding Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance $18,900,000 Food for Peace * $31,200,000 Democracy and Governance $ 450,000 TOTAL USAID ASSISTANCE: $50,550,000
- Afghanistan is facing a famine of massive proportions. Twelve million people have been affected by three years of drought. Between five and seven million risk starvation by winter. Already the country has the highest rate of maternal mortality and the third-highest rate of child mortality in the world.
- The World Food Program (WFP) has 45,000 metric tons (MT) of food in the region; 75,000 MT of U.S. wheat and other food commodities are en route. USDA purchased another 100,000 MT last week.
- The United States has long been the largest donor to WFP's humanitarian assistance efforts in Afghanistan. Historically, the U.S. has contributed more than 80 percent of the WFP's food.
- Although the U.S. has no diplomatic relations with the Taliban, we do not withhold emergency assistance from the Afghan people. The events of September 11 will not change that policy.
- USAID's assistance is part of an overall U.S. Government humanitarian assistance package (including the State Department, USDA and other federal agencies) for the people of Afghanistan that totaled nearly $184 million in FY '01 and thus far in FY '02.
- Even prior to September 11, Afghanistan was the largest recipient of USAID humanitarian assistance.
- USAID provides emergency shelter for displaced persons, immunization for children, maternal care for women, seed for farmers, and programs for clean water.
- USAID humanitarian and development assistance to Afghanistan since 1991 exceeds $329 million.
Background: Twenty-two years of war and internal conflict have left Afghanistan in a state of near-total collapse. The difficult conditions, already exacerbated by several years of Taliban oppression and misrule, further deteriorated with the advent of serious drought three years ago. Almost half the population has been affected, and the threat of widespread famine and starvation is very high. In September 2000, the United States re-declared Afghanistan a complex humanitarian disaster. In February, 2001, a disaster was declared for Afghan refugees in Pakistan. A USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) visited in March. A DART has been in the region since June and another is expected soon. A number of strategies are being considered to ensure U.S. assistance reaches the most vulnerable populations.
* includes $1.9 million assistance to Afghan refugees in Pakistan [Return to top]
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