Insecurity Restricts Access to Needy People in Afghanistan: UNDP

tolonews.com

The situation in Afghanistan has further exacerbated and insecurity has restricted humanitarian workers' access to people in need in Afghanistan, the UNDP Country Director said on Tuesday.

The UNDP Country Director, Manoj Basnyat, made the comments in the sixth ECHO summit held in the Afghan capital, Kabul.

Mr Basnyat expressed concern over deteriorating security situation in the country adding that access to the people in need of basic services has been limited due to the worsening situation in the country.

"The situation is further exacerbated on going conflict, which as continued on appertained throughout 2011, so I think the key here is rising in security has also adversely impacted on the ability of humanitarian workers to access people in need and for the same people to access basic services," Country Director of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Manoj Basnyat said.

According to the UNDP, 40 percent of Afghans are currently faced with economic challenges.

"Forty percent of the populations survive, on the less than one dollar per day," he said.
Meanwhile, Second Vice-President Karim Khalili has said that disaster preparedness programme is a priority for the Afghan government.

He expressed concern over the internally displaced people's loss of life due to heavy snow in some parts of the country. The Vice-President stressed on the importance of the sixth ECHO summit to take necessary measures to fight natural disasters in the country.

Cold weather has recently claimed lives of more than 40 internally displaced people in Afghanistan.

The UNDP also warned of natural disasters in the near future, including threats of floods in some parts of the country, emphasising the required funding should be available to tackle the situation.