The United Nations asked the international community to pitch in $5 billion to deliver humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and five neighboring countries in 2022.
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned that the country is facing a crisis following a drought and an economic collapse under Taliban rule. They said tens of thousands of children are at risk of dying from malnutrition.
US TO PROVIDE $308 MILLION IN AID FOR AFGHANS
“People in Afghanistan face one of the world’s most rapidly growing humanitarian crises. Half of the population face acute hunger, over 9 million people are displaced, millions of children are out of school, the fundamental rights of women and girls are under attack, farmers and herders are struggling amid the worst drought in decades, and the economy is in free fall,” the agency said.
The OCHA was joined by the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees in its efforts. The agencies announced two plans to address the crises in Afghanistan.
The first is Afghanistan Humanitarian Response Plan, which would use $4.4 billion to fund organizations working on addressing water, healthcare, malnutrition, shelter, sanitation, and education in Afghanistan. The two agencies said the plan was the “largest humanitarian appeal ever launched.”
The second initiative is the Afghanistan Situation Regional Refugee Response Plan, which would use $623 million to address similar issues plaguing Afghan refugees in neighboring countries. The UNHCR said there are at least 5.7 million Afghan refugees in five neighboring countries. It suggested conditions are particularly difficult for Afghan refugees in Iran and Pakistan.
“The international community must do everything it can to prevent a catastrophe in Afghanistan,” U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said in a statement. “The needs of refugees cannot be dismissed, nor can the generosity of host countries be taken for granted. They need support and they need it today.”
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The U.N. and other humanitarian organizations have repeatedly warned about dire conditions in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover five months ago. Afghanistan is also facing its worst drought in 27 years, according to the OCHA.
Afghanistan had a GDP of about $20 billion in 2020, according to data from the World Bank. If the aid funding it is approved, the aid would account for about a quarter of Afghanistan of what its economy was in 2020. Their economy is believed to have shrunk significantly since the Taliban takeover.
