As the U.S. and its allies began unleashing their military power upon Afghanistan, millions of Afghans were already living in miserable conditions both inside and outside Afghanistan. These conditions were brought about by decades of war, despotic government rule, drought, famine and economic system collapse in Afghanistan. With an impending strike by the U.S. looming after September 11, there were widespread evacuations from major Afghan cities due to people's fears of being bombed. The combination of pre-existing conditions and widespread displacement caused by fear of impending attack by the world's superpower created a situation where millions of Afghans were at extreme risk of starvation.
As winter progressed and the military campaign was stepped up, aid agencies found that there was an increase in instability within the country, and also an increase in looting of their aid supplies, making it that much more difficult to reach the needy population with vital aid. Some agencies were warning that a calamity of "biblical" proportions was imminent unless drastic action was taken to avert it. As if these problems were not enough, deadly earthquakes also struck Afghanistan creating yet more misery.
