7.3 million Afghans are 'food insecure'

KABUL, Afghanistan, Jan. 19 (UPI) -- International partners teamed up with Afghan leaders to discuss the seriousness of food security issues in the country, the World Food Program said.

Louis Imbleau, the WFP representative in Afghanistan, met with Afghan leaders in Kabul to discuss bilateral measures needed to address food shortages in the war-torn country.

"This groundbreaking meeting is a sign of how serious all parties are about the need to improve Afghanistan's food security," said Imbleau.

WFP launched a three-year relief and recovery operation in Afghanistan in April. The agency said it was working on addressing immediate humanitarian needs for those affected by conflict in Afghanistan. By working with the government in Kabul, meanwhile, WFP is addressing long-term rehabilitation strategies in the country.

WFP said its aim is to provide food assistance to the nearly 7.3 million Afghans suffering from a shortage of food.

About 31 percent of the Afghan population was identified as "food-insecure" by a 2007 report on national risks.

WFP during its Kabul meeting established a network of working groups to find common approaches to agricultural and nutritional development in the country.