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UNAMA chief says two-thirds of Afghan people will need aid this year
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan’s top envoy said on Wednesday that 28 million Afghan people, accounting for two-thirds of the country’s population, will need life-saving humanitarian assistance this year.
Addressing a Security Council meeting, Roza Otunbayeva said the the assistance will cost $4.62 billion and that almost 20 million people are experiencing crisis levels of food insecurity, with six million people just one step away from famine-like conditions.
“Our humanitarian action is challenged by an increasingly complex access and security environment,” said Otunbayeva.
She said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) ban on women working in non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are not the only serious obstacles to reaching vulnerable populations. She also said she feared that “national women staff working for the UN will also be banned.”
Otunbayeva said the ban on women working for NGOs, along with banning women from higher education, will have serious consequences for the Afghan population and for the relationship between the IEA and the international community.
She warned that “funding for Afghanistan is likely to drop” if women were not allowed to work.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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