UN official urges donors to step up support for Afghanistan

United Nations, July 16: A UN official on Thursday urged donors to step up support for Afghanistan, where an ongoing drought and increased military operations amid foreign troop withdrawal are displacing scores of civilians, creating a growing humanitarian crisis.
Ramiz Alakbarov, UN resident and humanitarian coordinator for Afghanistan, said a 1.3-billion-U.S.-dollar appeal launched earlier this year is less than 40 percent funded.
Some 18 million Afghans, or half the population, require assistance. A third of the country is malnourished and half of all children under five are experiencing acute malnutrition.
The 450 million dollars received so far fall far short of what is needed.
"Our plan is to provide assistance to at least 15.7 million people, and right now it will not be possible without these additional contributions," said Alakbarov, speaking via videoconference to journalists in New York.
The developments are occurring as the deadline for foreign troops to fully withdraw from the country approaches.
U.S. President Joe Biden said on July 8 that U.S. military mission in Afghanistan will conclude on Aug. 31, days ahead of his original Sept. 11 deadline.
Speaking of the security and safety of humanitarian workers, Alakbarov said that 25 of them have been killed since the start of year, and 63 injured, a 30-percent increase over 2020.
Babar Baloch, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, told a news briefing in the Swiss city of Geneva on Tuesday that "Afghanistan is on the brink of another humanitarian crisis."
"We urge the international community to step up support to the government and people of Afghanistan and its neighbors at this critical moment," he added.
Source: Xinhua