The international community has pledged more than 1 billion dollars in aid for Afghanistan. United Nations CEO António Guterres said this in Geneva during a donor conference for the Central Asian country.
“This conference fully meets my expectations of solidarity with the people of Afghanistan,” Guterres said. However, he could not say how much money of the $1 billion is earmarked for emergency aid that the UN plans to provide in Afghanistan in the coming months.
Barely a month after the Taliban seized power in the country, Afghanistan is in a humanitarian crisis that is worsening. The country needs about 600 million dollars by the end of this year, according to calculations by the UN.
Guterres warned at the conference that many people could run out of food by the end of the month. He also said it is necessary to engage in dialogue with the Taliban. “It is impossible to provide humanitarian aid in Afghanistan without talking to the de facto authorities in the country.”
The United States pledged $64 million in US aid money. However, US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield made it clear at the conference that this money will only be made available if the Taliban respect the rights of women, minorities and aid organizations.
“Humanitarian aid organizations cannot do their job if the Taliban do not adhere to these fundamental obligations and humanitarian principles,” Thomas-Greenfield said.
