At least eight killed in protests over food distribution in Afghanistan

At least eight people including two police officers were killed when protesters angry over what they see as unfair food aid distribution during the coronavirus pandemic clashed with police in Afghanistan’s western Ghor province on Saturday, according to officials.
Six civilians and two police officers died in the incident, according to Tariq Arian, spokesman for the Ministry of Interior.Provincial councillor Abdul Basir Qaderi said police opened fire on Saturday after demonstrators damaged government property with stones and attacked security forces.
“A delegation will be sent from Kabul to investigate today’s incident in a comprehensive manner,” he said, adding that ten police officers and nine civilians were injured.
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Gulzaman Nayeb, a lawmaker representing Ghor, said that seven people were killed and more than a dozen wounded during the protest – sparked by growing discontent at the distribution allegedly favouring people with political connections.
Police had opened fire after some among the around 300 protesters threw stones, started to fire guns and tried to enter the governor’s house, said Mohammad Arif Aber, a spokesman for the provincial governor of Ghor.
He put the toll at two dead and five wounded. He denied that aid was being unfairly distributed.
Among the dead was Ahmad Naveed Khan, a local volunteer radio presenter who was sitting in his nearby shop and was hit in the head by a bullet, according to Ahmad Quraishi, Executive Director at the Afghanistan Journalists Centre.The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) is looking into the “worrying reports of police firing on protesters,” its chairperson Shaharzad Akbar said on Twitter.
Rights group Amnesty International also called for an independent investigation into the use of police force.

The government has been distributing food aid around the country as the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic have led to many job losses and rising food prices.
Akbar told Reuters this week that the commission was being inundated with complaints from the public that food aid is being distributed unfairly.He said warning shots and water cannon failed to disperse the protesters. The dead included two police officers, a journalist and three protesters. Those wounded included 10 police officers and nine demonstrators.

"The city is in a military situation now," Qaderi said. "There are tanks on the roads."

The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) is looking into the "worrying reports of police firing on protesters", its chairperson Shaharzad Akbar said on TwitterRights group Amnesty International also called for an independent investigation into the use of police force.

Reacting to the incident, Afghanistan's First Vice President Amrullah Saleh said he was shocked and saddened by the news.

"We will investigate the incident seriously," Saleh wrote on Facebook.

Ghor is one of the most deprived, undeveloped and insecure provinces in the country.

Afghanistan has begun the free distribution of bread at bakeries for the poor as the coronavirus lockdown continues.Nationwide, there have been about 4,000 confirmed cases out of 15,000 tests conducted.

The World Bank said on Friday in addition to security and political uncertainties, the global pandemic and high rate of poverty have caused major challenges in Afghanistan.