ROME, August 20. /TASS/. The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) will resume humanitarian operations in Afghanistan next week if the situation in some districts allows, WFP Spokesperson Frances Kennedy told TASS on Friday.
"In some areas activities have been briefly put on hold due to sporadic fighting or opportunistic violence. These activities are expected to resume from next week so long as the situation allows. WFP reaffirms our commitment to the people of Afghanistan and continuing our operations while ensuring the safety of our staff and partners," she said.
According to the WFP spokesperson, the organization continues its activities in Afghanistan, including food distributions. "This week alone we have reached 80,000 people with food and nutrition assistance and to date we have reached 400,000 internally displaced people," she said.
"We have been securing access to contested areas in Afghanistan over recent years, and we engage with all parties, guided by the humanitarian principles of Impartiality, Operational Independence, Neutrality and Humanity," she emphasized.
She did not rule out, however, the organization’s operation in Afghanistan may be temporarily interrupted because of the unstable situation. "We are doing everything to ensure that food assistance will continue smoothly," she said. "In the first six months of this year, WFP delivered food and nutrition assistance to 5.5 million people. WFP needs US$200 million urgently to continue its operations until the end of the year".