On July 18, two French ACF (Action Contre Faim – in French) aid workers were abducted by armed militias in central Afghanistan. ACF has since temporarily suspended operations leaving behind 130,000 people who faced acute malnutrition.
The lack of security in Afghanistan is preventing NGOs and aid agencies from delivering services in a time when a severe drought and rising food prices is having devastating affects on millions.
According to UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Organisation, Taliban attacks against aid workers is occurring throughout the country and not just in the more volatile south. However, many of the attacks are by unidentified gunmen.
Anja de Beer, director of ACBAR, a network of 100 of local and international NGOs in Afghanistan told IRIN that the current situation could provoke a crisis. “If insecurity continues to hamper NGO [non-governmental organization] access, and needs remain unmet, we worry that the humanitarian situation will deteriorate into a crisis,” she said.
