In Afghanistan, a top U.N. official said yesterday that millions of people are on the brink of starvation as winter approaches and humanitarian funding is running low. U.N. deputy special representative and humanitarian coordinator for Afghanistan Ramiz Alakbarov told reporters that the situation can be best described as pure catastrophe.<br />''<br />''He further said, 19 million people are food insecure in the country and 6.6 million of them are at emergency levels, just a step away from famine. Mr. Alakbarov said, the problem is growing, with 35 million of Afghanistan's 40 million residents living in poverty, while the price of a basic food basket is up nearly 30 per cent. He said, the deterioration of the situation is a reflection of the country's overall economic decline.<br />''<br />''Over the past two decades, Afghanistan's economy has been heavily dependent on foreign aid. One year ago, since the Taliban seized power, the suspension of most international aid has contributed to the breakdown in many basic services. Inflation is rampant, and the price of ordinary goods is beyond the reach of most Afghans.<br />