Tom Fletcher, the United Nations Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, has stated that despite the cessation of active conflict, Afghanistan continues to grapple with profound and multifaceted crises.
In an interview with Agence France-Presse, Fletcher expressed grave concern over the decline in humanitarian aid to the country. He said during a visit on Wednesday to a mobile health clinic in Kunduz. that there are 17 crises around the world requiring urgent attention, and Afghanistan is at the top of that list.
The senior UN official’s visit comes amid a significant decrease in global humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. The United States, which had provided the largest share of humanitarian aid amounting to USD 3.71 billion since the Taliban’s return to power, has now suspended its support.
Following a meeting with a group of women at the mobile health centre, Fletcher remarked that those who justifies the reduction in aid, should listen to a mother who cycled for three hours to reach a medical centre, only to lose her child upon arrival.
While critics of the Taliban have largely welcomed the suspension of international aid citing misuse of funds by the de facto authorities the United States has also justified its decision on the same grounds.
Fletcher described the decline in humanitarian assistance as “cruel” and added that the impact of aid cuts was not immediately visible, but “we now clearly see how devastating this decision has been for vulnerable communities.”
He identified the plight of Afghan women as one of the country’s “accumulated crises.” Following meetings with Taliban officials in Kabul and Kandahar, Fletcher emphasised the importance of “dialogue to shift perspectives” on women’s rights.
Fletcher also sounded the alarm on the effects of climate change, calling its impact on Afghanistan “deeply concerning” and warning that it would intensify the demand for humanitarian assistance potentially even more so than during periods of conflict.
He concluded by noting that this dire humanitarian context is exacerbated by widespread poverty, decades of instability, and protracted warfare.
