Tom Fletcher, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, has urged donor countries not to abandon Afghanistan amid the difficult circumstances it is facing.

In an exclusive interview with Ariana News, Fletcher stated that humanitarian needs in Afghanistan remain high and stressed that the voices of Afghan women and girls will not go unheard on the UN stage, and their challenges will not be ignored.

“As you mentioned, the humanitarian needs in Afghanistan are very significant. More than 20 million people in Afghanistan currently require humanitarian assistance. I wanted to spend nearly a week in Afghanistan to visit Kandahar, Kunduz, and here in Kabul, speak with local communities, and understand how they perceive their extensive humanitarian needs. I also met with our outstanding aid teams working in the field. They tell me that the scale of the needs is as large as ever, because in addition to decades of war, poverty, and inequality, the climate crisis has now added to these problems—especially affecting the most vulnerable,” said Fletcher.

He added that the U.S. aid cuts have impacted their operations in Afghanistan.

Fletcher stated: “My message to donor countries and the international community is very simple: do not retreat. Do not abandon Afghanistan and leave it to face these enormous needs alone. We must be here. We must remain here sustainably, engage in dialogue with local communities, be as effective as possible, and deliver aid with the generosity required by this moment.”

He further noted that Afghanistan has taken steps toward progress and has achieved the necessary economic development to stand independently without international reliance.

“As humanitarian aid workers, our future goal should be to be no longer needed here, because Afghanistan has found its own way, has taken its path toward development, and has achieved the economic progress necessary to stand independently without international support. Our ideal should be that one day Afghanistan does not need us and we can leave,” he added.

Tom Fletcher also emphasized that, within the framework of the United Nations and with whatever budget they can secure, they will remain in Afghanistan and continue to serve as effectively as possible.