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Afghanistan

Afghanistan: Arson attack in Urozgan

On March 2nd, at around 5 am, two commercial trucks hired by the United Nations World Food Programme to deliver 29 metric tonnes of food aid to vulnerable communities were stopped by unidentified criminals in the area of Shpolagh Manda, which is between Trinkot and Khas Urozgan in Urozgan province.

The two drivers reported being threatened and beaten. The trucks were then burned and the food was destroyed.

While the matter is still under investigation by government authorities, WFP regrets that valuable food could not reach hungry people in the region. The wheat, valued at around US$9300, was going to assist an estimated 1, 200 vulnerable people working on a food for work project, which involved the rehabilitation of 40 km of road from Khas Urozgan to Gul Khar village.

The World Food Programme calls on all to allow humanitarian goods to reach the poorest people in Afghanistan.

WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency: each year we give food aid to an average of 90 million people, including 61 million children, in more than 80 countries. WFP -- We Feed People.

WFP Global School Feeding Campaign - For just 19 US cents a day, you can help WFP give children in poor countries a healthy meal at school - a gift of hope for a brighter future.

Visit our website: www.wfp.org

For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org):

Jackie Dent, WFP Kabul, Tel +93 (0) 070 282 547, e-mail: Jackie.Dent@wfp.org
Ebadullah Ebadi, WFP Kabul, Tel +93 (0) 70 278 593, e-mail: Ebadullah.Ebadi@wfp.org