Afghanistan: fear of humanitarian catastrophe, UN calls for dialogue with Taliban

The international community must talk with the Taliban to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan, insists the UN chief, as a first commercial flight landed Monday in Kabul, one of the first signs of normalization of the country since the return of Islamists to power. The situation is becoming critical for millions of Afghans, already affected by an acute drought, the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic and decades of war. According to the UN, in the absence of support, almost the entire Afghan population (97%) is at risk of falling below the poverty line next year, up from 72% today. The UN has requested more than $600 million in aid for humanitarian organizations in the country. Paris has announced that it will release €100 million in this context, while Washington will contribute €64 million. The UN said at the end of the meeting that donor states had pledged a total of $1.2 billion in aid, but did not specify how much was specifically earmarked for the emergency appeal.

IN BRIEF                                                              

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