European Union and WFP provided vital support to families affected by flash floods in Afghanistan

Humanitarian funding from the European Union (EU) provided crucial support to WFP’s operation in Afghanistan, reaching nearly 150,000 people hit by devastating flash floods earlier this year.

Several weeks of torrential spring rains wreaked havoc across two-thirds of the country, affecting tens of thousands of people and their livelihoods.

Shortly after the floods began, WFP started food distributions using existing stocks while preparing to scale up the response. The timely EU humanitarian aid of €349,300 was vital to provide vulnerable families in Farah City with cash transfers, allowing them to buy a variety of healthy food from the local market.

“The EU was among the first donors who provided us with urgently needed funding to assist families whose houses were damaged and whose livelihoods were washed away,” said Zlatan Milisic, WFP Country Director and Representative in Afghanistan.

The intense seasonal rains followed the worst drought in a decade and the dried-out ground was unable to absorb water. Many families had already depleted all their resources and were ill-prepared to cope. These two factors made the country particularly vulnerable when the flash floods hit this spring.

The EU, through its Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO), has been a long-standing donor for WFP in Afghanistan, contributing more than €25.5 million since 2002. The generous contribution has enabled WFP and partners to provide food assistance to people affected by conflict and natural disasters.

Original source: WFP
Published on 30 August 2019