Displaced children play at a refugee camp in Kabul, Afghanistan on April 16, 2021. (Photo: Rahmatullah Alizadah/Xinhua via Getty Images)
Sep 30, 2021
Warning that the freezing of funds by some of the world's wealthiest countries is pushing Afghanistan toward a humanitarian crisis, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies on Thursday called on global policymakers to immediately disperse relief aid to save millions of Afghans from starvation.
The IFRC said 18 million Afghans are currently in need of urgent humanitarian assistance following the Taliban's consolidation of power in August, after which the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank cut off the flow of cash to Afghanistan.
"There needs to be some solution to the financial flows into Afghanistan to ensure that at least salaries can be paid, and that essential supplies, power and water being two of them, can be procured," Alexander Matheou, Asia Pacific regional director for the IFRC, told the Associated Press Thursday.
\u201cMEDIA RELEASE: The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) warns that Afghanistan faces imminent collapse of health services and widespread hunger if aid and money do not flow into the country within weeks.\n\nREAD: https://t.co/7vGPwqiWrw\u201d— IFRC Asia Pacific (@IFRC Asia Pacific) 1632985242
Millions of people in Afghanistan currently face the effects of a drought, the coronavirus pandemic, and an overwhelmed and underfunded healthcare system and a "looming harsh winter... threatens greater misery and hardships," Matheou said in a statement.
"After living through decades of fleeing and fighting, Afghans now face a severe drought which has devastated food production, leaving millions hungry and destitute."
--Alexander Matheou, IFRC
"After living through decades of fleeing and fighting, Afghans now face a severe drought which has devastated food production, leaving millions hungry and destitute," said Matheou. "We are deeply concerned that Afghanistan faces imminent collapse of health services and worsening hunger if aid and money do not flow into the country within weeks."
The IFRC noted that demands on the organization's workers in the country have intensified in recent weeks amid cuts to healthcare funding.
More than 20,000 healthcare workers in Afghanistan are no longer being paid and about 2,500 health facilities are currently not in operation due to the funding cuts, according to the AP.
The IFRC said $38 million is immediately needed "to support Afghan Red Crescent to deliver emergency relief and recovery assistance to 560,000 people in 16 provinces worst affected by severe drought and displacement."
"IFRC appeal funds will be used to help with sustainable water supplies, establishing more drought-resistant crops and revitalising livestock, while supporting critical income generation for those most at risk of spiralling poverty, including women and the elderly," said Matheou.
The IFRC said its team on the ground was working to ramp up support for maternal and children's healthcare, food assistance, and other emergency relief.
\u201cThe numbers affected by the humanitarian crises in Afghanistan are huge.\n\nEach crisis is personal, and most personal crises are hidden, often now behind burqas. \n\nHumanitarian aid is not an answer, but it has a role in alleviating suffering. \n\n@ifrc will scale up assistance.\u201d— Alexander Matheou (@Alexander Matheou) 1633007189
"Humanitarian aid is not an answer, but it has a role in alleviating suffering," tweeted Matheou.
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Warning that the freezing of funds by some of the world's wealthiest countries is pushing Afghanistan toward a humanitarian crisis, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies on Thursday called on global policymakers to immediately disperse relief aid to save millions of Afghans from starvation.
The IFRC said 18 million Afghans are currently in need of urgent humanitarian assistance following the Taliban's consolidation of power in August, after which the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank cut off the flow of cash to Afghanistan.
"There needs to be some solution to the financial flows into Afghanistan to ensure that at least salaries can be paid, and that essential supplies, power and water being two of them, can be procured," Alexander Matheou, Asia Pacific regional director for the IFRC, told the Associated Press Thursday.
\u201cMEDIA RELEASE: The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) warns that Afghanistan faces imminent collapse of health services and widespread hunger if aid and money do not flow into the country within weeks.\n\nREAD: https://t.co/7vGPwqiWrw\u201d— IFRC Asia Pacific (@IFRC Asia Pacific) 1632985242
Millions of people in Afghanistan currently face the effects of a drought, the coronavirus pandemic, and an overwhelmed and underfunded healthcare system and a "looming harsh winter... threatens greater misery and hardships," Matheou said in a statement.
"After living through decades of fleeing and fighting, Afghans now face a severe drought which has devastated food production, leaving millions hungry and destitute."
--Alexander Matheou, IFRC
"After living through decades of fleeing and fighting, Afghans now face a severe drought which has devastated food production, leaving millions hungry and destitute," said Matheou. "We are deeply concerned that Afghanistan faces imminent collapse of health services and worsening hunger if aid and money do not flow into the country within weeks."
The IFRC noted that demands on the organization's workers in the country have intensified in recent weeks amid cuts to healthcare funding.
More than 20,000 healthcare workers in Afghanistan are no longer being paid and about 2,500 health facilities are currently not in operation due to the funding cuts, according to the AP.
The IFRC said $38 million is immediately needed "to support Afghan Red Crescent to deliver emergency relief and recovery assistance to 560,000 people in 16 provinces worst affected by severe drought and displacement."
"IFRC appeal funds will be used to help with sustainable water supplies, establishing more drought-resistant crops and revitalising livestock, while supporting critical income generation for those most at risk of spiralling poverty, including women and the elderly," said Matheou.
The IFRC said its team on the ground was working to ramp up support for maternal and children's healthcare, food assistance, and other emergency relief.
\u201cThe numbers affected by the humanitarian crises in Afghanistan are huge.\n\nEach crisis is personal, and most personal crises are hidden, often now behind burqas. \n\nHumanitarian aid is not an answer, but it has a role in alleviating suffering. \n\n@ifrc will scale up assistance.\u201d— Alexander Matheou (@Alexander Matheou) 1633007189
"Humanitarian aid is not an answer, but it has a role in alleviating suffering," tweeted Matheou.
Warning that the freezing of funds by some of the world's wealthiest countries is pushing Afghanistan toward a humanitarian crisis, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies on Thursday called on global policymakers to immediately disperse relief aid to save millions of Afghans from starvation.
The IFRC said 18 million Afghans are currently in need of urgent humanitarian assistance following the Taliban's consolidation of power in August, after which the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank cut off the flow of cash to Afghanistan.
"There needs to be some solution to the financial flows into Afghanistan to ensure that at least salaries can be paid, and that essential supplies, power and water being two of them, can be procured," Alexander Matheou, Asia Pacific regional director for the IFRC, told the Associated Press Thursday.
\u201cMEDIA RELEASE: The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) warns that Afghanistan faces imminent collapse of health services and widespread hunger if aid and money do not flow into the country within weeks.\n\nREAD: https://t.co/7vGPwqiWrw\u201d— IFRC Asia Pacific (@IFRC Asia Pacific) 1632985242
Millions of people in Afghanistan currently face the effects of a drought, the coronavirus pandemic, and an overwhelmed and underfunded healthcare system and a "looming harsh winter... threatens greater misery and hardships," Matheou said in a statement.
"After living through decades of fleeing and fighting, Afghans now face a severe drought which has devastated food production, leaving millions hungry and destitute."
--Alexander Matheou, IFRC
"After living through decades of fleeing and fighting, Afghans now face a severe drought which has devastated food production, leaving millions hungry and destitute," said Matheou. "We are deeply concerned that Afghanistan faces imminent collapse of health services and worsening hunger if aid and money do not flow into the country within weeks."
The IFRC noted that demands on the organization's workers in the country have intensified in recent weeks amid cuts to healthcare funding.
More than 20,000 healthcare workers in Afghanistan are no longer being paid and about 2,500 health facilities are currently not in operation due to the funding cuts, according to the AP.
The IFRC said $38 million is immediately needed "to support Afghan Red Crescent to deliver emergency relief and recovery assistance to 560,000 people in 16 provinces worst affected by severe drought and displacement."
"IFRC appeal funds will be used to help with sustainable water supplies, establishing more drought-resistant crops and revitalising livestock, while supporting critical income generation for those most at risk of spiralling poverty, including women and the elderly," said Matheou.
The IFRC said its team on the ground was working to ramp up support for maternal and children's healthcare, food assistance, and other emergency relief.
\u201cThe numbers affected by the humanitarian crises in Afghanistan are huge.\n\nEach crisis is personal, and most personal crises are hidden, often now behind burqas. \n\nHumanitarian aid is not an answer, but it has a role in alleviating suffering. \n\n@ifrc will scale up assistance.\u201d— Alexander Matheou (@Alexander Matheou) 1633007189
"Humanitarian aid is not an answer, but it has a role in alleviating suffering," tweeted Matheou.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.