Afghanistan threatens humanitarian catastrophe

UN warns: Afghanistan is in danger of a humanitarian catastropheUģis Lībietis00:00 / 02:30

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Afghanistan’s economic problems are one of the most pressing issues to be addressed when the Taliban come to power.

Both the international community and the Taliban themselves acknowledge that without international assistance, the country’s economy will collapse.

The withdrawal of American forces from the country after 20 years of presence was also associated with further assistance.

Until now, Afghanistan has been heavily dependent on foreign aid, amounting to as much as 40% of its gross domestic product (GDP). However, despite such assistance, the UN has estimated that some 18 million Afghans are currently facing a humanitarian crisis and that this number may soon double. Children are particularly at risk. According to UN Under-Secretary-General Stefan Dizarik, about half of children under the age of five may experience food insecurity in the next year.

To continue its humanitarian operations in Afghanistan, UN agencies need $ 1.3 billion in funding, but so far less than 40% of that amount has been raised. That is why UN Secretary-General Antonio Guteres has announced that he will arrive in Geneva on 13 September to hold an international conference on aid to Afghanistan.

The conference will do its utmost to speed up the allocation of funding for the continuation of humanitarian operations in the country.

One of the demands of the international community for the new leaders of Afghanistan is the unhindered access of humanitarian organizations to the country.

On Friday, September 3, it became known that UN aid agencies have resumed flights between the Pakistani capital Islamabad and Mazar-e-Sharif in northern Afghanistan and southern Kandahar. The national airline Ariana Afgan Airlines has also resumed its domestic flights. For its part, the United Arab Emirates has sent an aircraft to Afghanistan with urgently needed medicines and food.

At the same time, it has become known that US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will travel to Qatar and several other allies next week, including Germany. The purpose of their visit is to talk about the reception of Afghan refugees organized so far and to express their gratitude for the support provided in the reception of refugees. It is also planned to talk about how this process should be organized in the future.

The Taliban leadership has promised not to prevent those foreign nationals and Afghans who really want to leave the country from leaving the country. Therefore, the question of where and how to accommodate these people is relevant.

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