UN: Afghanistan is facing its worst humanitarian crisis.
At a time when millions of people in Afghanistan are at risk of starvation and almost the entire population is on the brink of poverty, Afghanistan could experience the worst humanitarian crisis ever, a UN official says.
“About 23 million people [in Afghanistan] are in dire need of food, its current $ 20 billion economy may shrink to $ 4 billion or more, and 97 percent of its 38 million people are at risk,” al-Dardari told CNN. “They are drowning in poverty.”
“Afghanistan has probably had the worst humanitarian catastrophe we have ever seen,” he said. “Financing for the humanitarian crisis and the services necessary to maintain life and livelihood in this country is very important.”
According to the report, numerous reports from Afghanistan indicate that several areas in the country are facing drought even as winter approaches.
When the Taliban suddenly came to power in August, world governments cut off Afghanistan’s access to international aid and froze some $ 10 billion in assets of the Central Bank of Afghanistan held abroad. This led to the collapse of the country’s public finances and many workers did not receive their salaries, which increased the pressure on Afghanistan’s banking system.
The international community can do a lot to provide humanitarian assistance and help maintain essential services in Afghanistan, the UN official said, according to CNN.
Al-Dardari said the UN has so far used a combination of Afghan banks – banks that are still operating and can conduct foreign exchange operations – and private financial service providers to provide funds directly to stakeholders.
Earlier, the World Food Program (WFP) said it was concerned about the dire situation in Afghanistan, saying that 3 million people in the country were at risk of starvation.
France 24 also reported that medical centers in parts of Afghanistan were closed due to the US blockade of the Central Bank of Afghanistan, and that many hospitals in the capital were operating without electricity or running water.
