UN plans $ 8 billion in aid for Afghanistan

KABUL: The UN is seeking $ 8 billion in aid to address the humanitarian and economic crisis in Afghanistan in 2022, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing UN officials.

According to UN officials, the latest plan would go beyond the current UN humanitarian mission and include a broader effort, ranging from providing hot meals for children in schools, to job creation or research. ways to pay Afghanistan’s energy bills to its neighbors.

“A human being needs more than a piece of bread. They need dignity, they need hope, ”said Ramiz Alakbarov, Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary General and Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan, quoted by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

“We don’t want to become an alternative government of Afghanistan. But is it important to support the systems, not to lose the gains made over the past years, ”he said. It comes as German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock speaking at a press conference vowed that Germany would step up efforts to prevent the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan is heading for a worsening humanitarian catastrophe, she said, with the collapse of major economic sectors. Lots of people are hungry. “Anytime you find out that people are selling their daughters for food, it’s hard to tolerate it,” she said. With the fall of the former government, Afghanistan plunged into a drastic economic crisis as the United States froze the country’s assets, which exceed $ 9 billion.

“Afghanistan currently needs serious help from the international community and this aid will develop the country’s economy,” said Iraj Faqiri, economist. The Islamic Emirate said the aid should be implemented in coordination with the Afghan government.

“International aid should be conditionally provided to the Afghan government so that aid is distributed in a transparent manner. No organization has the right to distribute aid arbitrarily, ”said Khalil Rahman Haqqani, acting minister for refugees and repatriation. – TOLO news