Geneva, 13 January 2022 (TDI): United Nations has set in motion the appeal of more
than $ 5 billion for Afghanistan. This is the largest ever single country humanitarian
appeal that will stabilize the livelihood of millions of Afghans.
SITUATION IN AFGHANISTAN AND GRIFFITHS STATEMENTS
In this severe winter condition, Afghanistan is facing an acute humanitarian disaster where the health, food, shelter, and employment opportunities of Afghan people are at stake.
UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, reiterated that this step is absolutely
essential and may act as an interim relief measure only.
According to Griffiths, the money will fund direct humanitarian assistance. He then added that the first destiny of the funding would be to tens of millions of Afghans now facing “acute” food insecurity, and that also need shelter.
Griffiths also remarked that the money would fund the payment of healthcare workers and others who have received no salaries for most of the past year. Owing to this appeal, the US Agency for International Development responded with a contribution of around $308 million.
The appeal has gained the attention of the international community because this relief package has prioritized the Afghan people instead of benefitting the Taliban government. The international community continues to grapple with this issue, to avoid humanitarian disasters and prevent this help from falling straight to the Taliban.
BACKGROUND OF AFGHANISTAN SITUATION AFTER TALIBAN TAKEOVER
Before the Taliban takeover, the US was in control of 75 percent of Afghanistan’s
economic backbone. Regrettably, with the fall of the US-backed Afghan government
and the exit of US-Nato forces, the funding stopped. Besides, the US holds and froze $10 billion that belongs to the Afghan central bank and the government as reserves.
Taliban government may face further international pressure and possible sanctions that
will obstruct the former to have any business or monetary deal. Biden administration
has made it clear that these sanctions will remain intact until and unless Afghanistan
doesn’t get inclusive government along with full-fledged citizenship rights for the people
without discriminating against minorities and women.
However, the Biden administration has shown some flexibility in the context of aid
funds, direct cash payments, and Treasury Departments’ waivers. This is only because
these funds will help the health and education department of Afghanistan.
Still, there is a wide economic gap created by a lack of liquidity. This may lead to the fall of the banking sector which will be another liability.
GRIFFITHS AND GRANDI’S FURTHER STATEMENTS
According to Griffiths; “There has been a great deal of discussion and preparation for how to mitigate the economic collapse, but the UN still does not have a functioning central bank, Afghanistan still has frozen assets, that the UN still doesn’t have the liquidity needed for humanitarian operations, let alone trade and business.”
It must be noted that the current covid pandemic is worsening the conditions more than ever before. UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, has remarked that if the situation is not put under control then this may create another refugee crisis.
Unfortunately, this will prove havoc for Europe and other neighboring countries specially Pakistan and Iran.
DESTINATION OF THE FUNDING ACCORDING TO THE UN OFFICERS
The UN made an earlier appeal for hundreds of millions of dollars in emergency humanitarian aid was more than fully funded. About 4.4 billion will be destined for the country.
The rest will be for the bordering countries like Pakistan and Iran, that are hosting Afghan refugees. Grandi also mentioned that the vast majority of Afghan refugees will not return due to the lack of basic services.
Both UN officials stressed that the scale of need is enormous, and warned that if the international community takes insufficient actions, the needs will double up. According to the UN officers, the urgent needs to cover in Afghanistan the next year would be 10 billion.
UN aid agencies describe Afghanistan’s plight as one of the world’s most rapidly growing humanitarian crises. Griffiths expressed his special concern for one million children now facing severe acute malnutrition.
Furthermore, he warned that both humanitarian agencies and their partners can only do so much and reiterated their support towards the UNSC resolution. That resolution cleared the way for aid to reach Afghans while preventing funds from falling into the hands of the Taliban.
He also stressed the urgency of his message. That message was don’t shut the door on the people of Afghanistan. Humanitarian partners are on the ground, and they are delivering, despite the challenges.
Help us scale up and stave off widespread hunger, disease, malnutrition, and ultimately death by supporting the humanitarian plans we are launching today. Grandi considers being more important to stabilize the situation inside Afghanistan in every aspect.
