Faced with political instability, economic problems and natural disasters, over 14.2 million Afghans are now plagued with a hunger crisis. International NGOs face barriers by the ruling Taliban, leaving Afghans to rely on local volunteers and donors for help.
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00:0025-year-old volunteer Khaled Riaz is bringing an emergency food package worth 100 U.S. dollars
00:06to this family in western Afghanistan.
00:09He hopes the supply of grain and flour will provide for them for the next few months.
00:14They live in a village 45 minutes' drive away from the nearest city.
00:18And they've faced an ongoing food crisis, worsened by a devastating earthquake in October
00:232023.
00:24We don't have anything to eat or drink, we haven't seen anything for 10-12 months.
00:30We are asking you to do something for us, if you don't give us anything to eat or drink,
00:36we will be left with nothing to eat or drink until the next morning.
00:40If we go home, we will be left with nothing to eat or drink until the next morning.
00:44We are terrified, we don't know what will happen to us.
00:46According to the U.N., one in four Afghans do not know where their next meal will come
00:56from due to years of war, economic instability and natural disasters, including earthquakes,
01:02droughts and floods.
01:04Over 14.2 million people in the country are experiencing food insecurity, and getting
01:09aid to them has proven difficult.
01:11They don't have good food.
01:13When we go to this package, of course, the excitement that people have, a little bit
01:18of control is difficult for them.
01:20On the one hand, it is understandable for us, because we understand that people depend
01:26on their needs.
01:29After the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban regained power.
01:34Although the Taliban claims not to obstruct humanitarian aid, non-governmental organizations
01:39addressing food insecurity report facing challenges in navigating new government regulations.
01:45The international community has been pulled in many directions with this competing crisis.
01:49So I'm concerned, I'm very concerned that the humanitarian resources for Afghans will
01:56diminish further, and that will have a dramatic impact.
01:59With international NGOs struggling to keep up, millions of Afghans facing food insecurity
02:05are turning to local organizations and individual donors for help.
02:08As food insecurity worsens, it remains unclear how their communities will stave off starvation.
02:14Kamishree and Tiffany Wong for Taiwan Plus.