London - Catherine Bertini, the Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme, today said that despite numerous obstacles, the Agency has succeeded in reaching a monthly food aid target of 52,000 metric tonnes-enough food to feed the six million hungry people of Afghanistan devastated by war and drought.

Ms. Bertini made the announcement at a news conference in London, England, after briefing the House of Commons International Development Committee on WFP's mammoth humanitarian operation in Afghanistan.

"We're winning the struggle to deliver food into Afghanistan,"Bertini said. "We had been facing major challenges over the past weeks in terms of insecurity on the ground and the onset of winter, but we've pulled out all the stops and we're managing to push the large quantities of food needed into Afghanistan. In fact we're now modestly surpassing that target."

On November 15, WFP for the first time reached the target of 52,000 tonnes per month. Despite the intensification of hostilities, the Agency continued to deliver small amounts of food to northern Afghanistan and plans to step-up operations in the coming days.

"The challenge for the future," Bertini said, "is to ensure that supply routes not be disrupted by any breakdown of law and order. At the same time, the non-governmental organzations (NGOs) with which we collaborate, are working hard to distribute food stocks within the country as shifting lines of battle have created security hazards that may well hamper food movements and distribution over the near term."

Bertini warned that although WFP was reaching its food delivery target, this did not guarantee that all of the needy could be fed. "Even with sufficient food stocks inside the country, it is always difficult to ensure that the most vulnerable rather than the strongest are receiving food aid," she said. "Security and weather conditions this winter will play a major role in determining our success in reaching all of the six million hungry Afghans."

"Whenever security conditions stabilize enough to enable aid workers to go in, WFP seizes this window of opportunity and sends in as much food as possible," Bertini said. The rapid increase in the amount of food delivered over the past four weeks can be largely attributed to the increased trucking capacity, maximization of the Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan routes into Afghanistan, purchasing over 30,000 tons of food in the region and borrowing tens of thousands of tons of wheat from Pakistan. At its peak earlier this week, WFP was employing over 2000 trucks in its food delivery operation.

As well, WFP is using various creative ways to ensure a continuous supply of food such as airlifting food from Pakistan to Turkmenistan. It is also providing fuel to food trucks from Kyrgyzstan to destinations inside Afghanistan at half the market price.

Another challenge WFP has been grappling with is the slow but crippling advance of snow over mountain passes leading to various areas inside Afghanistan. About one million Afghans are dependent upon WFP food aid in these areas that could be completely cut off by snow before the end of the year.

People living in these snow inaccessible areas of the Central Highlands, the Panjsheer Valley and the Northeast need more than 55,000 tons of food to carry them through the winter months. So far, WFP has already delivered over 40 per cent of this amount.

"We need to maintain this pace," said Bertini. "We still hope to get all the required food in time using the massive fleet of commercial trucks operating inside and outside of Afghanistan."

In addition, WFP has begun special snow removal operations to keep mountainous roads open from Tajikistan to the Panjsheer Valley, as well as routes from Kyrghistan into Badakhshan province.

"What has really made the difference for WFP is the dedication and courage of our Afghan colleagues from both WFP and NGOs who are still working under extremely difficulty conditions inside Afghanistan," Bertini added.

More than 130 Afghans work for WFP inside the country, living and working under deteriorating security conditions and restricted communications.

Last month WFP appealed for US$257 million to provide food aid for 6 million Afghans for six months. So far, donors have provided about 63 per cent of the needed funds - about US$162 million.

"We are hopeful that this support will be expedited to cover all Afghan food aid needs before the end of December. It takes three months on average between making a pledge of support and getting the food to the people on the ground in Afghanistan," Bertini said.

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