UN chief says that as of today, one in three Afghans do not know where their next meal will come from, and their basic public services are close to collapse
A 1988 photo of young Afghan mujahideen guarding an army barrack in the Eastern Paktia Province during the Afghan Civil War opposing the Islamic Unity of Afghanistan Mujahideen and the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan supported by Soviet Union. Pics/AFP
United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a warning against the “serious” possibility of a complete economic collapse in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover. Guterres made the remarks here on Monday while convening a high-level ministerial meeting on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, reports Xinhua news agency. He highlighted the acute and urgent need for funding support and action in the country.
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The people of Afghanistan need a lifeline. After decades of war, suffering and insecurity, they face perhaps their most perilous hour,” he said during his opening remarks at the meeting.
Passengers stand in a queue to board a Pakistan International Airlines plane, which is the first international commercial flight to land since August 15, at the Kabul airport
“Let us be clear: This conference is not simply about what we will give to the people of Afghanistan. It is about what we owe,” he added.
The UN chief said that as of today, one in three Afghans do not know where their next meal will come from, and their basic public services are close to collapse.
Workers paint over murals on a concrete wall along a street in Kabul. Pic/AFP
Due to a severe drought, many people could run out of food by the end of this month. The threat of economic collapse was discussed at a later press conference on Monday.
The risk comes from limitations in Afghanistan’s financial system, meaning that a number of basic economic functions cannot be delivered, according to the UN chief.
“The international community must find ways to make cash available to allow the Afghan economy to breathe, a total collapse would have devastating consequences to the people and risk destabilising neighbouring countries with a massive outflow,” he said.
Ahmadi family prays at the cemetery next to graves of family members killed by a US drone strike in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Monday. Pic/AP/PTI
Guterres also announced that he had asked the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, to travel to Kabul to meet the Taliban leadership.
“The de facto authorities pledged, in person and in a follow-up letter to Under-Secretary-General Griffiths that they will cooperate to ensure assistance is delivered to the people of Afghanistan.”
Asked about whether he would be willing to go to Kabul himself, Guterres said that “this is something to decide at the right moment, when the right conditions are met”.
1,24,000
No. of people the US has evacuated from Afghanistan
153
No. of Afghan media outlets that have stopped operations after Taliban takeover
‘US to decide on its ties with Pakistan’
The United States is going to be looking at its ties with Pakistan in the coming weeks to formulate the role America wants Islamabad to play in the future of Afghanistan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken informed Congress. During his first testimony in Congress after the Taliban seized control of Kabul, Secretary of State Blinken noted that Pakistan has “harboured” members of the Taliban including the terrorists from the proscribed Haqqani network.
USD 1.2bn announced in aid for Afghanistan
The international community has announced over USD 1.2 billion in aid for the Afghanistan humanitarian crisis, with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres underlining the importance to engage with the Taliban to ensure continued humanitarian assistance in the country and address other concerns including terrorism, human rights and the nature of the government. UN agencies and non-governmental partners launched a flash appeal seeking USD 606 million for the remainder of the year to bring vital relief to 11 million people in the war-torn nation.
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