Over four million children are out of school, the majority of them girls, and more than 1.1 million are engaged in child labour. “The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is cataclysmic, and children – as ever in crises like this – are on the frontlines. NGOs on the ground are reporting that families are being forced to make impossible choices in order to survive.Īsuntha Charles, National Director of World Vision Afghanistan, said: Women and girls are suffering disproportionately. 95% of the population do not have enough food to eat. In the past twelve months millions of Afghans have endured a new wave of hardship, with widespread hunger, unemployment and near universal poverty. “ We cannot fail to do what we know is right, and what we know is possible”, concluded the Emergency Coordinator.London, UK, 15 August 2022 – One year since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, a group of 32 Afghan and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) urge the International Community not to abandon Afghans, but instead to take urgent action to increase funding, resolve the economic crisis and stand up for human rights in the country. Noting that the meeting was being held at “a moment of exceptional gravity for the people of Afghanistan”, the senior UN official pointed out that “ we have the advantage of being forewarned of the fate that awaits them if we do not act”.Īcknowledging that the meeting has provided both a chance and an opportunity to do so, he warned that “if we do not act with urgency and with a collective will, then there will be a terrible reckoning”. “The consequences of inaction on these three fronts are clear: Afghanistan will collapse, people will run out of hope, and the region – and indeed the world – will see destabilization increase”, he underscored. ![]() ‘Consequences of inaction’Īfghanistan will not get through the winter on emergency aid alone, the UN official flagged, stressing the need for “flexible donor funding” that can be used to ensure salaries for public sector workers and support to basic services, such as health, education, electricity and livelihood.Īfghanistan will not get through the winter on emergency aid alone – UN Emergency Relief CoordinatorĪnd going forward, continued constructive engagement with the de facto authorities is imperative to “clarify what we expect of each other”. Our humanitarian response is effective and continues to scale up, thanks to generous donor support and your sustained engagement”, he stated. The plan is a stopgap measure for over 21 million people who need lifesaving assistance and must be funded as “a matter of priority”. “The United Nations stands firmly with you, and in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan”, said the Relief Coordinator, explaining that next year, the UN would seek its largest-ever funding appeal of $4.5 billion “to help the most vulnerable in Afghanistan”. The OIC met to express their willingness to help avert disaster and contribute to the humanitarian endeavour. “Within a year, 30 per cent of Afghanistan’s gross domestic product could be lost altogether, while male unemployment may double to 29 per cent”, he spelled out. Griffiths cautioned that by the middle of next year, universal poverty – reaching 97 per cent of the population – could be “the next grim milestone”. The cost of wheat and fuel are up by around 40 per cent and food now accounts for more than 80 per cent of the average household expenditure.Īnd as international development support has frozen up, basic social services that all Afghans depend on are collapsing. “Families simply do not have the cash for everyday transactions, while prices for key commodities continue to rise”. “This step should be followed by reprogramming of the whole fund to support the Afghan people this winter”, he said. The UN official welcomed the decision by the World Bank's Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund to transfer $280 million by the end of December to the UN Children’s Fund ( UNICEF) and the World Food Programme ( WFP). “The need for liquidity and stabilization of the banking system is now urgent – not only to save the lives of the Afghan people but also to enable humanitarian organizations to respond”, he said. Moreover, this is occurring as the value of the Afghani currency plummets, a lack of confidence in the financial sector destroys trade and the space for borrowing and investment dramatically constricts. IFkiqrrgR2- Martin Griffiths December 19, 2021 We cannot fail to do what we know is right, and what we know is possible. Honoured to address the Extraordinary Ministerial on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, hosted by and people of Afghanistan are in a free fall.
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