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UN pushes for pledges, seeks $4.4 billion for Afghanistan
The United Nations announced on Thursday it is seeking $4.4 billion for Afghanistan in the largest ever humanitarian appeal launched for a single country, Reuters reported.
Ahead of the drive, Britain pledged 286 million pounds ($374 million) for Afghanistan, where six out of every 10 Afghans need aid, much of it food, amid an economic crisis worsened by a financial aid cutoff following the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) takeover in August.
“Afghans need our help in enabling their economy, sustaining their agriculture and enabling the basic functioning of social services,” UN aid chief Martin Griffiths told a news briefing on Wednesday ahead of the event co-hosted with Britain, Germany and Qatar.
The UN says funds under the appeal — three times the amount requested in 2021 and so far only 13% funded — go directly to aid agencies and none are channeled through the de facto authorities, Reuters reported.
In a sign that recent IEA moves on human rights and inclusivity may directly impact willingness to help IEA, the US cancelled meetings with them in Qatar after the reversal of a decision on girls returning to high schools.
“We want to see those prohibitions, those constraints removed. I hope it will not mean that the pledges that we have from this conference are limited by that because I can tell you that there are efforts ongoing,” Griffiths said.
He urged political engagement with the IEA administration, saying it wants to find “a constructive path forward” with the global community, and that isolating Afghanistan now would only bring more suffering in the future.
About 23 million people face acute food insecurity as Afghanistan also experiences its worst drought in 30 years, while 10 million children are in urgent need of aid, according to the United Nations.
German foreign ministry official Ricklef Beutin called for the world to join in the 4.4 billion pledge but added: “The Taliban (IEA), the de facto authorities have to live up to their responsibilities, to protect their people and to help humanitarian organisations do the work on the ground that they need to do.”
Terrorist activities continue to be observed along Afghanistan borders and along the India–Pakistan–Afghanistan corridor, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview published on Monday.
Speaking to Russia-based media outlet TV BRICS, Lavrov pointed to ongoing concerns in the Middle East, including its Asian regions.
He highlighted the importance of collaboration with India at the United Nations to advance a global counter-terrorism convention.
Lavrov stated that while the draft convention has already been prepared, consensus on its adoption has not yet been reached.
Russia has repeatedly expressed concern about militant threats from Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate, however, has dismissed the concerns saying that it will not allow Afghanistan’s soil to be used against any country.
Noorullah Noori, Afghanistan’s Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs, held a phone conversation with Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, to discuss bilateral border cooperation.
According to the Iranian news agency IRNA, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening border collaboration, with a particular focus on the ongoing renovation and updating of border markers. They also agreed to accelerate joint technical and legal meetings to enhance coordination.
As part of the agreement, the next meeting of senior border officials from Afghanistan and Iran is scheduled to take place in Iran in 1405 (2026–2027).
The Director General of the OIC Mission in Kabul, Mohammed Saeed Alayyash, met on Sunday with Rolf Dieter Reinhard, Head of the German Liaison Office for Afghanistan in Doha and Acting Chargé d’Affaires of the German Embassy in Afghanistan.
During the discussion, both sides exchanged views on the latest developments in Afghanistan. They focused on the security situation, as well as the humanitarian and economic conditions faced by the Afghan people.
The two officials also reviewed recent political developments and broader challenges in the country, highlighting the need for continued international engagement and support.
The meeting emphasized the importance of ongoing cooperation and coordination between the OIC Mission and the German side in addressing Afghanistan’s challenges and in supporting efforts to promote stability and improve the humanitarian situation.
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