Decades of war in Afghanistan has affected the country to a large extent. Different sectors have been influenced by this menace. The basic infra-structure has not been able to get proper attention and people are suffering because of basic needs, among which food is the most rudimentary one. It is one of the preliminary physiological requirements of human beings and it is really sorry to note that there are million of people in Afghanistan who lack this basic need.

Even a decade of development has not been able to provide proper or even sufficient food to a large number of people. The prospects, in this regard, display a bleak picture for the coming winter and the coming years.

Though Afghanistan is an agricultural country and wheat is its staple crop yet there has been and there will be major shortage of food for the people of Afghanistan who already suffer from myriads of problems.

In order to fulfill the food requirements of the country, Afghanistan has been largely dependent on foreign aid and it would not be possible for the country to stand on its own in few coming years.

Unfortunately, there are signs of decrease in the aid that is going to be provided to the country in the coming year and most probably in the years to follow; one of the major reasons being global economic depression, and this means more people would remain without food in the years to come that would add more sufferings to the lives of the common people.

The Deputy Director for UN's World Food Program (WFP) for Afghanistan, Bradley Guerrant, has recently said in an interview, "We are planning for 45 percent (of a once projected $400 million) for next year." This amount, in no way, can compensate for the WFP's food program for the next year.

So, the fund will be focused on the issues of great urgency and importance including 'support for the most vulnerable families especially households headed by disabled people and women' and 'supplementary feeding programs for malnourished children under five years old and pregnant women', while some other programs which are in no way negligible may be cut back (these include agriculture schemes and a school feeding program). The choice has not been a very convenient one as Bradley Guerrant has mentioned, "We are making some very difficult decisions right now."

It is really important that a decade of struggle for betterment in Afghanistan must not only end in peace and tranquility but also better living standard for the common Afghan people; and if that is not convenient, they must at least be provided the rudimentary requirements.

Afghan authorities in this regard have to play their roles as well. They can not keep on relying on foreign aid for indefinite period of time. As the funds are being reduced they have to make sure that all of them are used for the set objectives and not even a small amount goes to the 'pockets of corruption'.

The issue of corruption has also been one of the reasons that the international community is reconsidering the aids they provide to Afghanistan. The donors, on the other hand, have also been striving that the level of corruption must be controlled and the money should be spent for the right purpose and right people.

Commenting on the same issue Bradley Guerrant mentioned, "One challenge is also ensuring that the food gets to the right people". However, it would be a real test of transparency to bring the said commitment to practice.