Afghanistan

The UN and its partners Feb. 3 appealed for USD 604 million to help meet the needs of Afghans made vulnerable by natural disasters, lack of access to basic social services, increasing food insecurity and the worsening security situation. Some USD 354 million of the appeal will go towards food aid, while almost USD 100 million will be used to rid the strife-torn nation of landmines. The plan, with a set of 112 projects from 39 NGOs and eight UN agencies, also focuses on the delivery of education, water and sanitation, in a country where 42 per cent of the population lives on less than USD 1 per day. (UN News Service)