An international UN donor conference pledged nearly a billion euros for aid to Afghanistan and its neighboring countries. The money will be used to build medical and sanitation facilities and to distribute food, among other things. Part is also intended for aid to countries that receive Afghan refugees.
According to UN chief Guterres, Afghans fear the entire country will collapse. At the end of the month, all food may be gone. According to him, 14 million people are on the brink of starvation and 93 percent of households in the country do not have enough food.
According to United Nations calculations, Afghanistan will need about half a billion euros by the end of this year to fight hunger. Moreover, the Afghan health care system is said to be collapsing. Money is also needed for schools.
13.5 million euros from the Netherlands
The Netherlands is allocating 13.5 million euros extra for aid to the Afghans. Of the amount, 10 million euros will be spent via a UN fund on, among other things, food, medical care and water. Earlier, 10 million euros had already been pledged.
“Human suffering in the country is great and growing,” says outgoing minister De Bruijn for Development Cooperation. “The population now needs our help. At the same time, many Afghans have fled to neighboring countries in recent years: we must not forget them and the communities that host them.”
human rights
At the conference in Geneva, Switzerland, hardly any demands were made on the Taliban, the new rulers in Afghanistan. It has been said, however, that further cooperation with the Taliban will depend on the terrorist organization’s respect for human rights.
UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet accused the Taliban of murder to employees of the former Afghan government and their relatives. Her office has received credible reports that they have been arrested without charge, she says. The Taliban would go door to door to track down employees of the previous government.
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