This is the most important amount ever claimed by the institution to help one country, threatened with humanitarian disaster since the departure of the US military.
Le Monde with AFP
The United Nations has asked for a record $ 5 billion to fund aid to Afghanistan this year and ensure a future in a country threatened by a humanitarian catastrophe. It is only an emergency solution, but “the fact is that without (this aid plan), there will be no future” for Afghanistan, asserted Martin Griffiths, the Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations to humanitarian affairs, during a press briefing in Geneva Monday, January 10th.
The UN needs $ 4.4 billion in donor countries to finance humanitarian needs this year, the largest amount ever claimed for one country, highlights a statement from the Organization. This amount would be devoted to expanding food delivery and support for agriculture, to finance health services, treatment against malnutrition, emergency shelters, access to water and sanitation but also Education. Some 22 million people, more than half of the country’s population, have an urgent need for help.
Nearly 6 million refugees abroad
But it also takes $ 623 million more to the UN to help 5.7 million Afghan refugees, sometimes for many years, in five neighboring countries, mainly Iran and Pakistan. Filippo Grandi, the High Commissioner for Refugees warned without detour: “If the country collapses, implies (…) Then we will see a much larger exodus of people. And this population movement will be difficult to manage in the Region but also beyond, because it will not stop in the region “.
The country has been led since August by the Taliban, who have resumed power and hunted the government supported by the international community and US military power after 20 years of guerrilla. The sanctions regime put in place to try to make concessions to Islamist fundamentalists on the rights of women in particular, precipitated the country – already very dependent on international aid – in a deep economic crisis. It is further aggravated by a drought that has been rampant for several years.
No money for the Taliban
To reassure donors, Mr. Griffiths insisted that the funds – which represent a quarter of the country’s official GDP – would not go through the Taliban but would be used directly by some 160 NGOs and UN agencies on the ground. A distribution facilitated by the safe situation that has been the best since years, “said Griffiths.
The decision of the Security Council in December to facilitate for one year the humanitarian aid and the actions of goodwill of Washington have contributed to reassuring the financial actors, paralyzed by the fear of contravening the sanctions and thus depriving the country of the liquidity essential for its operation. Officials, teachers, caregivers have not been paid for months.
While the international community always seeks an effective way to put pressure on the Taliban to change in particular their way of treating women, very quickly deprived of most of the acquired rights of high struggle for 20 years, Mr. Grandi explained that this aid “also created a space for dialogue with the Taliban which is very valuable”.