Amid humanitarian crisis, UN to cut aid to 21 million in Afghanistan

Kabul [Afghanistan], August 6 (ANI): Amid a dire humanitarian crisis, the United Nations humanitarians on Friday warned of a severe aid funding gap for aid to more than 21 million people in Afghanistan even though some relief has already been reduced, Khaama Press reported.

The 3.2 billion US dollar plea to aid almost half of the Afghan population has received less than 25 per cent of its funding more than halfway through the year, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

“We face critical funding gaps amounting to 1.3 billion US dollars, with many programs already ended or considerably scaled back due to insufficient resources and aid pipelines at risk of imminent rupture, including for food assistance,” Khaama Press quoted the OCHA as stating.

On July 31, the organisation said in a statement that more than halfway through the year, the 2023 Afghanistan Humanitarian response plan (HRP) remains severely underfunded, with only 744 million USD received as of July 31, which is less than half the amount (1.49 billion USD) at the same time in 2022.

“With humanitarian needs at an all-time high due to the third consecutive year of drought-like conditions, worsening poverty and heightened vulnerabilities following forty years of conflict, only a short window of opportunity exists to bring in vital assistance and supplies before the lean season and winter starts, and lives are potentially lost,” the statement added.

Earlier, the UK Parliament had informed that the humanitarian aid given to Afghanistan by the Official Development Assistance (ODA) has been reduced by 59 per cent, as per Tolo News.

The issue of the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan was also raised in the United Nations Security Council High-level open debate where representatives from various countries urged for the providing aid in Afghanistan, reported Khaama Press.

Notably, Afghanistan, under the Taliban, is facing its worst humanitarian crisis and the women of the country are denied fundamental rights. According to a World Food Programme assessment, Afghanistan is one of the nations with extreme food insecurity, with nine million people affected by severe economic difficulties and hunger.

Since the Taliban seized power in August 2021, the law and order situation in the country has only deteriorated, with the rise in cases of terrorism and blasts.

The group banned women from going to schools. Later in December last year, they banned women from going to universities and working with aid agencies. Earlier this year, the Taliban also imposed a ban on salons, which were a major employment source for women.