Afghans facing starvation

Thousands of Afghans are facing starvation with reports that food will run out within two to three weeks.

Within the past week, 35,000 Afghans have fled towards the Pakistan border swelling the numbers in refugee camps there which were already chronically overcrowded.

Pakistan and Iran have now closed their borders with Afghanistan, leaving millions of people trapped inside Afghanistan.

The international aid agency UNICEF is one of the agencies trying to get food and medical supplies into the country.

Spokeswoman Maura Quinn said the desperate plight of the Afghans should not be forgotten.

‘People need to be aware of the likely humanitarian consequences to women and children of Afghanistan,’ she said.

‘Many are not able to leave the country at the moment. They are caught between a rock and a hard place in terms of living under a regime that is extremely difficult.’