THE Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF) has allocated 17 million dollars to Afghans affected by drought, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Tuesday.

“The Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF) has allocated 17 million dollars to non-governmental organisations.

“UN agencies delivering life-saving aid to families affected by the drought that has gripped large parts of Afghanistan,’’ Toby Lanzer, Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan, said in a news release.

The CHF-Afghanistan, established in 2014, is one of OCHA’s Country Based Pooled Funds for swift and strategic humanitarian action in the country.

“Now is the time to help; without quick action, the number of families and the gravity of suffering will grow exponentially.

“The drought afflicts some 2 million people across the north and west of the country where the latest harvest was lost and tens of thousands of families urgently need help,’’ Lanzer said.

The emergency assistance will include cash for families to buy food at local markets; trucking of drinking water to villages and schools where fountains have dried up; and treatment of malnourished children.

In support of Afghanistan, the UN revised its Humanitarian Response Plan calling for an additional 117 million dollars in 2018. (Xinhua/NAN)

– Jun. 26, 2018 @ 11:29 GMT |