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UNHCR chief appeals for global engagement to address Afghanistan’s needs
Declaring that the world must deliver sustained support to the people of Afghanistan, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, appealed for robust assistance to address the country’s humanitarian needs and those of Afghan refugees abroad.
“As much as the world is rightfully preoccupied with the war in Ukraine, Afghanistan is experiencing a very grave crisis,” Grandi said at the end of a four-day visit to the country.
“We speak with people who do not know what they will eat for their next meal; women heads of households afraid for the health and well-being of their children; mothers and fathers desperate to provide for their families. The needs here are enormous,” Grandi declared after a visit that included the opening of a UNHCR-built health centre in Kandahar and to a girls school which UNHCR constructed in Jalalabad.
Grandi arrived in Afghanistan on Monday and met with the interim Afghan government as well as UN and NGO workers who continue to provide vital assistance throughout the country. During his meetings, Grandi said UNHCR’s commitment to stay and deliver humanitarian aid to the people of Afghanistan is unwavering.
So far in 2022, the UN Refugee Agency’s assistance and relief programmes have helped more than 500,000 Afghans, including more than 130,000 people who received relief items or direct financial assistance to survive the winter and more than 370,000 people who benefited from health centres, schools, water systems and other infrastructure that UNHCR has built in areas prioritised for the return of refugees and IDPs.
“Some 3.4 million people are internally displaced due to conflict, the healthcare system is experiencing severe shortages amid the COVID crisis and a measles outbreak, key workers in vital services like schools and hospitals are without salaries, while the liquidity crisis, rising global food and energy costs are having a devastating effect,” Grandi declared.
“Overall, 24 million people throughout Afghanistan require humanitarian support this year and we appeal to donors to fund a large humanitarian effort which I have seen is delivering critical results.”
“Protecting the rights and well-being of Afghans requires long-term political and economic stability,” Grandi said.
“Without support to the UN and partners’ work, however, the hardship I witnessed this week in Jalalabad, Kandahar and Kabul will mount,” he said.
The Islamic Emirate’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has held talks with Bjørn Johansen, Norway’s newly appointed Special Representative for Afghanistan, focusing on political and regional developments.
In the meeting, Johansen said Norway maintains historic ties with Afghanistan and has consistently sought to play a constructive role in supporting stability in the country, Afghan foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
He noted what he described as noticeable progress in Afghanistan in areas including security, counter-narcotics efforts, and other sectors, adding that further cooperation should be expanded through the normalization of relations with the international community.
Muttaqi, welcomed Norway’s continued engagement and cooperation with the Islamic Emirate, saying that the current stability in Afghanistan should be utilized effectively. He also emphasized that progress made by the Afghan authorities could help broaden future cooperation.
The Government of Slovenia has contributed €200,000 to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to support humanitarian work in Afghanistan, focusing on reproductive health and protection services for women and girls.
According to UNFPA, the funding will help expand access to essential maternal and reproductive health care across the country, particularly in areas where services remain limited and humanitarian needs are high.
UNFPA said the support will be used to reach vulnerable women and girls with life-saving health assistance and protection services as part of its ongoing response in Afghanistan.
The contribution comes as international aid agencies continue efforts to sustain basic health services amid ongoing economic and humanitarian challenges in the country.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has rejected recent accusations by Pakistani officials claiming that attacks inside Pakistan were planned from Afghan territory, describing the allegations as “baseless.”
Hamdullah Fitrat, Deputy Spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate, said Afghanistan believes regional issues should be addressed through dialogue, mutual respect, and genuine cooperation rather than accusations, emotional rhetoric, or threats.
He reaffirmed that Afghan territory would not be used against any country and stressed that no group or individual would be allowed to carry out activities that threaten regional peace and stability.
The remarks came after Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry reportedly summoned Afghanistan’s Chargé d’Affaires in Islamabad on Monday and handed over a formal protest note regarding an attack on a police post in Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Pakistani authorities alleged that the attack had been planned from inside Afghanistan.
According to reports, the explosion occurred on Saturday evening in the Fathkhel area of Bannu, killing 15 police officers and injuring four others, including one civilian.
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