Dikhyaa Mohanty 
The UN humanitarians informed that the relief crisis in Afghanistan is deteriorating rapidly, with 12.2 million people acutely food insecure. While thousands of people are fleeing, or attempting to flee, through Kabul airport, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that 735,000 people returned to the country this year from Iran, Pakistan and other countries and is in urgent need of humanitarian aid.
According to the official reports, 550,000 people became internally displaced since January. Humanitarian needs are expected to deteriorate further in the second half of the year due to drought and the majority of the 12.2 million people acutely food insecure will be further affected by drought.
The humanitarians stated that severe acute malnutrition increased by 16 per cent, impacting 900,000 people and moderate acute malnutrition increased by 11 per cent, hitting 3.1 million children. A below-average wheat harvest is expected, and the livestock yield is forecast to be weak due to poor pastures and feed availability, OCHA said.
OCHA informed that food prices continue at elevated levels and conflict-related movement restrictions further inflated the price of staples and the UN humanitarian response plan for Afghanistan remains just 37 per cent funded.
