Kunduz province, October 2008. Young beneficiaries of the ICRC distribution hold up their food distribution tickets.

The plight of Afghans in the northern provinces is compounded by soaring food prices. Increases in global food prices have resulted in export bans by key regional food exporters, further restricting the flow of food into Afghanistan. Across the country, large numbers of people cannot afford to buy essential staples like wheat and rice. The cost of flour, for example, has doubled in less than a year.