Six months after the Taliban took over the power in Afghanistan following the embarrassing rushed withdrawal of US and Western troops, the UK is preparing to co-host next month an international summit to address the humanitarian crisis in the country.
At the event dubbed the biggest appeal yet for a single country, the United Nations will aim to raise $4.4 billion for Afghanistan which, according to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ recent warnings, is hanging by a thread with half its population facing starvation.
According to UN data, more than half the 39 million Afghans are suffering from extreme hunger faced with the collapsing economy, education, and social services systems.
UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss noted that the summit will be critical in helping to address the humanitarian growing crisis in Afghanistan, where the scale of need is unparalleled, and the consequences of inaction threaten to be devastating.
Truss underscored that the UK is determined to lead the global effort, bringing together international allies to support stability in the region, raise vital aid and deliver food, shelter, and health services, and protect Afghan women and girls.
The UK has pledged last month £97 million of emergency aid to Afghanistan, bringing the total pledged by the UK in the financial year 2021 to £286 million ($387 million).
The aid that the UK has allocated since October will provide 6.1 million people with emergency health, water, protection, shelter, and education support through the UN Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund, will provide health services for more than 300,000 people by supporting more than 60 hospitals and will ensure emergency food assistance for 4.47 million people through the World Food Programme.
Next month’s summit will also seek to mobilize international support to help Afghans gain access to basic services and the funding will be channeled through trusted UN agencies and charities on the ground.
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