Africa
A top UN official has warned that six million Afghans are at risk of famine as the country continues to face extreme hardship and uncertainty under Taliban leadership.
UN humanitarian chief, Martin Griffiths, made the remarks late on Monday at a UN Security Council meeting on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.
More than half of the country’s population needed humanitarian assistance, Griffiths said.
With the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, the country’s situation has further deteriorated.
Unemployment and extreme poverty had forced tens of thousands of Afghans to flee their country.
In addition, a devastating earthquake and flash floods have compounded the situation.
The international community is pumping roughly 40 million dollars into the country’s economy each week.
But there were complaints that the Taliban was allocating the majority of the money to its supporters.
“Poverty is deepening, the population is still growing, and the de facto authorities have no budget to invest in their own future,” Griffiths said.
He said the UN urgently needed 600 million dollars to support preparation for winter, such as upgrades and repairs to shelter, warm clothes, and blankets, and an additional 154 million dollars for food and livelihood assistance. (dpa/NAN)
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Tags: Martin Griffiths United Nations
