Afghanistan on the Brink of Humanitarian Disaster

UN Member States Pledge Over $1 Billion in Humanitarian Aid

        Source:                   www.persecution.org
Date:                        September 15, 2021

UN Member States Pledge Over $1 Billion in Humanitarian Aid

09/15/2021 Washington D.C. (International Christian Concern) – International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that UN member states are set to deliver over $1 billion in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan as the country reels from decades of conflict and a disastrous U.S. withdrawal last month. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres held a high-level meeting on Monday to discuss the crisis, pleading for a lifeline for the Afghan people. The UN appealed to member states for $606 million to meet the most pressing humanitarian needs of the country. The ask was exceeded, with $1.2 billion pledged.

 As the new hardline Taliban government of Afghanistan begins to lead the country, the entire nation is facing an imminent humanitarian disaster. Food is running short, the economy is collapsing, and the prices of commodities like cooking oil are surging. One in three Afghans do not know where their next meal is coming from as poverty deepens around the country. 

 “Today, we have clearly more than 1 billion of pledges,” said Guterres. “It is impossible to say how much of these will be for the flash appeal, but in any case, it represents a quantum leap in relation to the financial commitment of the international community towards the Afghan people.” 

 Afghanistan’s new Taliban government and its approach to human rights—especially its harsh treatment of women—have been a significant point of concern for much of the international community. 

 “The early signs, in terms of human rights, do not look good for Afghanistan,” said Matias Perttula, Director of Advocacy for ICC. “If the trend continues in this direction, it’s a sign for the country’s religious minorities, including Christians, of the severe hardships that they will face under the Taliban’s extremist policies and discriminatory tactics. The international community needs to stand with the people of Afghanistan, and not just by delivering humanitarian aid, but by actively promoting human rights and pressuring the Taliban to secure fundamental freedoms for all Afghans.” 

 The new reality of Afghanistan is bleak and full of extraordinary challenges. People will suffer greatly unless the international community acts now.

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