October 26, 2001	Friday	Shaba'an 8, 1422

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ROME, Oct 25: United Nations relief agencies on Thursday issued a new warning about the threat of mass starvation in Afghanistan, saying some 7.5 million people are in desperate need of food aid in the country.

The World Food Programme (WFP) plans to deliver 52,000 tons of food aid per month to feed the most vulnerable people, both refugees (1.5 million) and resident population (six million) in Afghanistan.

However, transport and distribution difficulties were hampering the delivery of the required volumes, the Food and Agriculture Organization warned.

According to a special report by the FAO, prolonged droughts have also worsened the food supply situation in neighbouring countries.

“This year’s food production in Pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan has suffered a significant reduction due to serious drought,” the FAO said in a statement.—dpa