Outside Kabul, Afghans 'marching towards starvation'

Much of the world's focus has, understandably, been on events in Kabul in recent days, with thousands of fleeing Afghans still waiting to be evacuated from the airport there.

However, the rest of the country is also facing a humanitarian emergency, as the impact of a Taliban takeover is exacerbated by Covid, lack of food and water, and for many, the loss of their homes.

The executive director of the World Food Programme has urged political leaders to act fast, warning that millions of Afghans could soon face starvation.

"There’s a perfect storm coming," David Beasley told Reuters news agency. "The number of people marching towards starvation has spiked to now 14 million."

Unicef has also warned of the potential for "severe drought and consequent water scarcity" over the coming months.