The United Nations Humanitarian Agency has decried the deplorable conditions in Afghanistan, issuing warnings that at least six million people were presently at risk of famine after the strict sanctions placed on the country when the Taliban took over, in 2021.
The Taliban has not been officially recognized by any foreign governments and is still subjected to international sanctions, which, according to the UN and aid groups, are a hindrance in the humanitarian operations in Afghanistan.
Martin Griffiths the Agency Head told the UN Security Council on Monday that the country was posed with several crises including humanitarian, economic, climate, hunger, and financial, and he has urged international donors to immediately provide $770m to aid Afghans survive the oncoming harsh (colder) months.
“Conflict, poverty, climate shocks, and food insecurity have long been a sad reality in Afghanistan,” Griffiths had opined, adding that the current situation was a very critical one because of the stoppage of large-scale development aid.
According to Griffiths, “Poverty is deepening, the population is still growing, and the de facto authorities have no budget to invest in their future. It’s clear to us that some development support needs to be restarted.”
At least over half the number of Afghanistan’s 39 million people require humanitarian help and over a million children are guessed to be suffering from the severest, life-threatening form of malnutrition and without proper treatment and care, could die.