Afghanistan on verge of widespread famine

Refugees from drought and fighting at the overcowded Maslakh camp

By CNN State Department
Producer Elise Labott

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A devastating drought in Afghanistan has left 3.8 million people at risk of famine and the situation is "deteriorating rapidly", according to a U.S. delegation that recently returned from the central Asian country.

The delegation said the drought is affecting every region of Afghanistan and that the country is lacking the necessary two million tons of food to feed its people -- a deficit that has doubled since just last year.

"Everyone is more or less at the same level of shared destitution," said Peter Morris of the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance.

The team's trip to assess the humanitarian situation in the country marked the first official U.S. visit to Afghanistan in three years.

The team found that all villages visited had been devastated by the drought. A USAID statement said the team was not able to travel to the country's worst hit areas in Ghor and Badghis because of security concerns.

Leonard Rogers with USAID said, "The situation is deteriorating rapidly."

U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud Ludders arrives at Maslahk

The U.N. estimates the drought has forced over 700,000 people to flee their homes, landing at camps for internally displaced citizens.

George Havens, a USAID nutritionist, called the conditions of the camps "woefully inadequate," and described the shelter facilities, water and sanitation as extremely poor.

"The populations are making due with whatever they can borrow, beg or collect as family resources have been depleted," Havens said.

He said infant mortality rates had reached emergency levels.

"When the resources finally hit rock bottom, which is very close, then you'll see a precipitous drop in health and nutrition status," Morris added.

While the team cited the drought as the major factor for the deepening humanitarian crisis, the members of the delegation said the ruling Taleban regime was contributing to the crisis.

"In the short term, it's dire in any event because of the drought," Rogers said, adding there are "things that the Talebans could do to improve access," including improving security conditions.

Thursday, the Taleban rejected U.N. calls for a cease-fire as a way to help the U.N. deal with the humanitarian situation.

The U.N. Security Council imposed sanctions against the Taleban's in an effort to pressure the party to hand over Saudi exile Osama bin Laden, who is accused of bombing two U.S. embassies in Africa. The sanctions allow for humanitarian aid.

The United States has allocated $78.5 million in assistance to Afghanistan, according to USAID figures.

Rogers said the United States would announce additional aid within the next two weeks.

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The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees

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