UN seeks billions in aid for Afghanistan - a podcast by BBC World Service

Amid a worsening humanitarian crisis, the UN is seeking $4.4bn in aid for Afghanistan. Dawood Azami is the editor of the BBC's Pashto Service, and tells us what life is like for Afghans at the moment. And Mark Malloch-Brown, president of the Open Society Foundations, and former deputy secretary general of the UN, discusses what role western sanctions are playing in the extreme hunger faced by many in Afghanistan. Also in the programme, with just a few days to go before the first round of France's presidential election, the BBC's Theo Leggett reports from the east of the country on how concerns about the rising cost of living are impacting the rival campaigns. Plus, with the current high cost of natural gas, there are renewed calls for countries to move away from the fossil fuel as a way of heating our homes. One alternative is the heat pump, and the BBC's climate editor Justin Rowlatt explains how they work. And we get wider context from Jan Rosenow, director of the non-profit energy think tank, the Regulatory Assistance Project.

Today's edition is presented by Rob Young, and produced by Faarea Masud, Sara Parry and George Thomas.

Further episodes of World Business Report

Further podcasts by BBC World Service

Website of BBC World Service