Afghanistan Watch: Fighting hunger in Afghanistan

November 15, 2007

Fighting hunger in Afghanistan

Rick Corsino, Country Director of the World Food Programme in Afghanistan, argues today in the National Post that citizens and the media tend to overlook humanitarian work in Afghanistan. "Most journalists," he notes "are more interested in going on 'embeds' with military forces than hanging out with -- superficially at least -- the less fascinating humanitarians. If journalists were to embed with the World Food Programme in Afghanistan, they would find another, less dramatic Afghan war -- the war on hunger -- and the large and innovative international effort that is fighting it."

Afghanistan Watch is guilty of this "security bias," as are the various media outlets. I know we'd like to feature more stories and analysis on humanitarian and development work, but it tends to be harder to learn of new developments in these fields. If you see some good pieces, or have ideas for what you'd like to see, please send them along...

Fighting Afghanistan's other war by Rick Corsino: I was recently in Kandahar City, where the news bulletins will tell you the heart of the Afghan insurgency lies. Certainly, security is a major issue, but I was most struck by the literacy projects I visited, where I spent time with some of the poorest women in Afghanistan -- and that means the poorest in the world. MORE

With nearly three decades of war behind them, most have lost husbands, fathers and sons to fighting. The mix of unending conflict, poverty and strict cultural mores governing the role of women in society has meant they have led extraordinarily difficult lives.

Through the hard work of local Afghan government officials, who build trust within the community about the content of the curriculum taught in the learning centres and thanks to the funding to buy food which acts as a powerful incentive, these women are now being allowed out of home. It may be only for a few hours each day, but they are finally getting a break.

Those I met talked about the confidence they have in being able to read signs in the street. They can also understand directions written on boxes of prescription pills and other things. But most significantly, they said, they had more respect in their family and community as they now had some education and were contributing food.

As military forces from many countries challenge insurgents opposed to the fledgling Afghan government, aid agencies from the same countries are contributing to security in a far quieter, but just as critical way. They are helping alleviate hunger in Afghanistan. I can think of no greater vulnerability in life than not knowing where your next meal is coming from. Unfortunately, there are more than three million Afghans living with such fear today.
Helping people become "food secure" is a desperate and complex business in this country. In addition to the war, Afghanistan suffers from unrelenting poverty, persistent drought and harsh winters, with heavy snowfalls leaving large parts of the country inaccessible for months at a time. With a diet that consists largely of tea and bread from cradle to grave, it is not surprising that one in five Afghans is undernourished, and over 40 percent of children under five are malnourished.

Few people know there is a hunger problem in Afghanistan. Part of it may be attributed to the stereotype that to be really hungry means to have a swollen belly, as seen all too frequently in images from Africa. But the more invidious forms of chronic hunger -- small and weak children at risk from the most common illnesses and diminished capacity to learn, cannot be dismissed.

But I believe a larger part is because most journalists are more interested in going on "embeds" with military forces than hanging out with-- superficially at least -- the less fascinating humanitarians. If journalists were to embed with the World Food Programme in Afghanistan, they would find another, less dramatic Afghan war -- the war on hunger -- and the large and innovative international effort that is fighting it.

Governments know well that military action is just part of the Afghan solution, and not even the largest part. Canadian funding is helping people in the south, including those women on literacy projects in Kandahar; German money is buying food for school feeding projects in northern Afghanistan, particularly those targeting girls.

A recent Italian donation was used to assist the poor in Herat. Contributions from the United States, Japan, the Netherlands, Switzerland and others are used to help poor people rebuild after fighting that damaged their communities has moved on, and for tuberculosis patients, by providing an incentive for them to stick to their eight month treatment, which is crucial considering 15,000 Afghans die each year from the disease.

Despite the worsening security, which has made our operations far more difficult to deliver, most donor countries have realised the benefits in supporting food assistance. In the short term, we are supporting the chronically poor, as well as those displaced by fighting. But in the long term we are coaxing well over a million kids back to school with daily rations.

With parliaments across the world debating the presence of troops in Afghanistan, it is crucial that this other war -- the war on hunger --is not drowned out by gunfire.

The writer is WFP Country Director in Afghanistan.