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Famine may have been averted, but Afghan economic crisis deepens: UN envoy
Humanitarian agencies may have distributed enough aid in Afghanistan to avert famine and large-scale starvation, but the country’s economic collapse is “approaching a point of irreversibility,” the UN envoy to Kabul said on Wednesday.
UN Special Representative Deborah Lyons told the UN Security Council that it is “most urgent” to resolve the root problems of the economic crisis, but doing so will require cooperating on all issues with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) who seized power in August, Reuters reported.
“We do not believe that we can truly assist the Afghan people without working with the defacto authorities,” Lyons said in urging the council to approve a new mandate for her mission.
The IEA authorities lack international recognition six months after taking control of Kabul as the last US-led international troops departed, ending 20 years of war, Reuters reported.
According to Reuters donors cut financial aid constituting more than 70% of government expenditures and about $9 billion in Afghan central bank assets were frozen. Many of IEA’s leaders remain under US and UN sanctions.
The moves accelerated an economic collapse, fueling a cash shortage, joblessness and hunger, prompting UN warnings that more than half of the 39 million people faced starvation, Reuters reported.
Lyons told the council that UN agencies and their partners have supplied aid to nearly 20 million Afghans across the country.
“We believe, as the winter season comes to an end, that we have perhaps averted our worst fears of famine and widespread starvation,” she said.
Lyons, however, said that urgent steps must be taken to address the liquidity crisis, restrictions on international payments and constraints on the central bank.
“Six months of indecision, marked by continued sanctions albeit with some relief, and unstructured political engagement, are eroding the vital social and economic coping systems and pushing the population into greater uncertainty,” she said.
“What we have done has been only to buy a little time.”
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Afghanistan committed to continued cooperation with UN on humanitarian and development projects: FM Muttaqi
According to the ministry, during the meeting Lemarquis shared his views on improving the delivery and management of humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan says Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has met with Bruno Lemarquis, Deputy Special Representative of UNAMA and Humanitarian Coordinator, for an introductory meeting.
According to the ministry, during the meeting Lemarquis shared his views on improving the delivery and management of humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan.
The Afghan Foreign Minister emphasized the importance of continuing humanitarian aid while also stressing the need to implement development and infrastructure projects across the country. He reiterated that the Islamic Emirate will continue its necessary cooperation with the United Nations in this regard.
Lemarquis thanked the Foreign Minister for the meeting and pledged to make full efforts in carrying out his responsibilities. He also highlighted the importance of expanding engagement and cooperation in various sectors between the two sides.
A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck Afghanistan on Saturday afternoon, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
The quake’s epicenter was reported in Jurm district of Badakhshan province, with a depth of 208.3 kilometers.
So far, there have been no immediate reports of casualties or damage following the tremor.
Shahabuddin Delawar, Head of the Commission for Contact with Afghan Personalities, says Afghanistan has achieved security, unified governance, brotherhood, and progress for the first time in 47 years under the administration of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA).
Speaking at a meeting in Kabul on Saturday, Delawar said Afghanistan had lacked a unified system over the past four decades, but added that with the return of the Islamic Emirate, the issue has now been resolved.
Referring to Ashura commemorations held on Friday, he said the occasion was observed peacefully across the country under full security.
Delawar also urged exiled Afghan politicians to return, saying the commission was established to serve Afghans and address the concerns of returning figures. He added that any legal disputes involving returnees would be handled exclusively through the commission.
He further said the Islamic Emirate has expanded treatment centers and intensified anti-narcotics efforts since regaining power, claiming this has led to a significant decline in drug addiction.
Addressing the issue of international legitimacy, Delawar said he understood why the United States has not recognized the Islamic Emirate, arguing that Washington suffered a defeat in Afghanistan that it cannot easily overlook.
“They have suffered a major defeat that they cannot forget; if they recognize us, they will face questions from their own people,” Delawar said.
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