KABUL (SW): Aid agencies in Afghanistan have called for aid worth at least US$430 million this year to help the most vulnerable girls, women, boys and men across the country.
The money will be used to assist 2.8 million people displaced by conflict or natural disasters with emergency shelter and food, to treat patients injured by conflict, to feed malnourished children or assist vulnerable families returning home after years in Iran or Pakistan.
Abdullah Abdullah, Chief Executive Officer of the National Unity Government, told a moot in this connection that Afghanistan needs international community’s help and support. He said up to 400,000 people are internally displaced and more than 700,000 refugees have returned home, and all these need urgent aid. “The international community has proven its continued commitment to the people of Afghanistan with generous humanitarian funding of $317 million in 2017,” said
“In many parts of Afghanistan, violence continues unabated and people need support more than ever,” said Toby Lanzer, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Afghanistan. “Today I call on international donors to stand by 2.8 million people whose lives have been ruined by conflict or natural disaster, and to help people returning to Afghanistan from neighbouring countries.”
Armed clashes in the past year were the highest in a decade and civilian casualties remained near record levels. More than two million people were directly affected by the conflict last year, 448,000 of whom had to abandon their homes to save their lives. More than 500,000 people arrived in Afghanistan in 2017, many of them after seeking refuge in Iran, Pakistan or other countries.
ENDS
