Kabul, Afghanistan - The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) contributed approximately $44 million to the UN World Food Programme (WFP) to support the provision of critical food assistance to people affected by drought in Afghanistan. Afghanistan is currently facing the worst drought in decades, affecting 20 of the country’s 34 provinces.

The funding to WFP supports a new, collaborative initiative with the Government of Afghanistan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL). The government will donate nearly 60,000 metric tons of wheat grain to WFP from MAIL’s Strategic Grain Reserve, and USAID will provide matching funds to support the milling, fortification, procurement of additional nutritious food commodities, transportation and distribution to provide food assistance to drought-affected communities. The Governments of the United Kingdom and Australia also contributed to this joint initiative to assist drought affected people across Afghanistan.

USAID is the largest donor to the WFP in Afghanistan. Since Fiscal Year (FY) 2018, USAID has provided $68.8 million to WFP to support emergency food and nutrition operations in Afghanistan.

WFP has supported the most vulnerable families since the first signs of the drought emerged in late 2017. Now, WFP is increasing its response interventions, initially reaching 441,000 people in the five worst-affected provinces to now supporting 1.4 million people in all 20 drought-affected provinces with humanitarian assistance.

With almost $17 billion spent on development programs in Afghanistan since 2002, USAID provides the largest bilateral civilian assistance program to Afghanistan. USAID partners with the government and people of Afghanistan to ensure economic growth led by the country’s private sector, to establish a democratic and capable state governed by the rule of law, and to provide basic health and education services for all Afghans.

• Press Release - USAID Provides $43.8 million to WFP to Boost Food Assistance for Drought Affected Afghans (Dari)
• Press Release - USAID Provides $43.8 million to WFP to Boost Food Assistance for Drought Affected Afghans (Pashto)