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A6 WORLD NEWS
Friday 27 January 2023

U.N. food agency: Afghan malnutrition rates at record high

By EBRAHIM NOROOZI Samadi said most children
Associated Press and mothers will die with-
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) out support from agencies
— Malnutrition rates in Af- like the WFP and World
ghanistan are at record Health Organization. Their
highs with half the coun- help is needed now more
try enduring severe hun- than ever, she told The As-
ger throughout the year, a sociated Press on Thursday.
spokesman for the World “In the last five months I
Food Program said Thurs- have seen the number of
day. patients increasing. Three
The Taliban takeover in Au- months ago we had 48 pa-
gust 2021 drove millions into tients. Last month, we had
poverty and hunger after 76 and this month so far
foreign aid stopped almost we have 69 or 70, mostly
overnight. Sanctions on Tal- we have twins who are so
iban rulers, a halt on bank weak, while their mothers
transfers and frozen billions are also weak.”
in Afghanistan’s currency Shortages of medicine
reserves restricted access alongside poverty and a
to global institutions and lack of food means even a
the outside money that small illness can turn into a
supported the country’s huge problem for many Af-
aid-dependent economy Mothers along with babies who suffer from malnutrition wait to receive help and check-up at a ghans, she said.
before the withdrawal of clinic that run by the WFP, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023. Her colleague, 30-year-old
U.S. and NATO forces. Associated Press nutrition adviser Sheba Hus-
“Half of Afghanistan en- to death, he said, but they worst possible moment,” Afghanistan following the sanzada, said children at
dures severe hunger the clinic receive therapeu-
throughout the year, re- have no resources left to said Kropf. “Families and Dec. 24 edict. tic food. But the children re-
stave off the humanitarian communities don’t know The NGO ban on women
gardless of the season, and turn with pneumonia, caus-
malnutrition rates are at a crisis. where their next meal is workers has seen the sus- ing unhealthy weight loss.
Aid agencies have been coming from.”
pension of 115 of 437 mo-
record high for Afghani- “Mothers are saying that
stan,” said Phillipe Kropf, providing food, education The WFP scaled up its deliv- bile health clinics, affect- they don’t have wood or
and healthcare support to ery and distribution of aid in ing 82,000 children, and
a spokesman for the U.N. any other way to keep their
food agency in Kabul. Afghans, including heat- anticipation of a tough win- pregnant and lactating children warm at home.
ing, cash for fuel and warm ter before the ban came women. The suspension of
“There are seven million They don’t have enough
children (under the age of clothes. But distribution has in, planning to reach 15 mil- a training project is hurt- food to feed them,” she
been severely impacted lion this month with emer-
ing 39,300 people, mostly
5) and mothers who are said. First-time mother Fe-
malnourished, in a country by a Taliban edict banning gency food assistance and women, while the pause reshta, 24, visited the clinic
women from working at nutrition support. While it is of a school snack program
with a population of 40 mil- because she doesn’t have
lion.” national and international not directly affected by the has hit 616,000 students. enough milk to feed her
nongovernmental groups.
ban, 19 of its NGO partners At a nutrition clinic in Ka-
Afghans are not starving child. q
“The ban has come at the suspended operations in bul, 32-year-old nurse Anisa
ICC judges reopen probe into Philippines’ ‘war on drugs’

By MIKE CORDER argued the ICC a court of should be allowed to re- to authorities there “is not ments. Human rights groups
Associated Press last resort therefore did not open the ICC investigation, warranted.” say the death toll is consid-
THE HAGUE, Netherlands have jurisdiction. saying Manila’s request for In their ruling Thursday, a erably higher and should
(AP) — International Crimi- Khan argued last year he the case to be deferred panel of judges agreed, include many unsolved kill-
nal Court judges on Thurs- saying that after examin- ings by motorcycle-riding
day cleared the way for ing information from the gunmen who may have
the court’s prosecution of- Philippines government been deployed by police.
fice to resume its investiga- and Khan and weighing Former Philippine President
tion into the so-called war comments from victims, Rodrigo Duterte has de-
on drugs in the Philippines. they concluded “the vari- fended the crackdown as
Prosecutor Karim Khan ous domestic initiatives and “lawfully directed against
asked judges for permission proceedings, assessed col- drug lords and pushers
last year to reactivate his lectively, do not amount who have for many years
investigation into alleged to tangible, concrete and destroyed the present
crimes against humanity progressive investigative generation, especially the
between Nov. 1, 2011, and steps in a way that would youth.”
March 16, 2019 that were sufficiently mirror the court’s Duterte openly threatened
linked to the deadly crack- investigation.” drug suspects with death
down. In this photo provided by the Malacanang Presidential More than 6,000 drug sus- and ordered police to
The probe was suspended Photographers Division, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte pects, most of them people shoot suspects who dan-
in late 2021 after the Philip- listens during a meeting with government officials at the who lived in poverty, have gerously resisted arrest, but
Malacanang presidential palace in Manila, Philippines on
pines said it already was in- Monday May 23, 2022. been killed, according to he has denied condoning
vestigating the crimes and Associated Press government pronounce- extrajudicial killings.q