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Fletcher: Donor countries must not abandon Afghanistan

Published

11 months ago

May 2, 2025

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.

Related Topics:Afghanistan ArianaNews DonorCountries featured OCHA TomFletcher

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Baradar approves 17 projects worth over one billion AFN

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1 hour ago

April 1, 2026

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In a regular meeting of the National Procurement Commission chaired by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, 17 projects worth more than one billion AFN were approved.

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The approved and amended projects include the construction of a dormitory building at Panjshir University; the construction of a medical faculty building at Badakhshan University; the completion of the first and second phases of the Kunar–Nuristan Road; the construction of general hospitals in Giro district of Ghazni province, Bandar district of Faryab province, and Spin Ghar district of Nangarhar province; as well as electricity supply and distribution projects across various provinces.

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Afghan delegation heads to China for talks with Pakistan

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April 1, 2026

Ariana News

A delegation of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has left for Urumqi, China, to hold talks with Pakistani officials, sources told Ariana News on Wednesday.

Mohibullah Wasiq, foreign minister’s chief of staff, is leading the Afghan delegtion.

The delegation also includes the heads of foreign relations of the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Interior and the General Directorate of Intelligence.

Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq is heading the Pakistani delegation.

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US eases asylum freeze for vetted migrants, keeps Afghanistan ban

Published

6 hours ago

April 1, 2026

Ariana News

The US Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday it is easing asylum restrictions for vetted migrants from low-risk countries, while maintaining bans on “high-risk” nations, including Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, and Somalia.

The move comes after last November’s attack near Washington’s Farragut Square, in which an Afghan asylee killed one National Guardsman and injured another, prompting stricter asylum screening under President Donald Trump.

A DHS spokesperson said thorough vetting remains unchanged for all applicants, with resources now focusing on higher-risk cases.