UN: 20 Million People in Afghanistan Facing Acute Hunger

New York, MINA – Head of the UN Assistance Mission Martin Griffiths said that 97 percent of Afghans live in poverty and 20 million people face acute hunger.

As quoted by Anadolu Agency on Thursday, the return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan on August 15, 2021 followed by the interruption of international financial assistance, has dragged the country into an economic, humanitarian and human rights crisis.

The US and other Western countries have suspended financial aid to Afghanistan after the Taliban’s seizure of power.

Joe Biden’s administration froze Afghanistan’s central bank’s $7 billion in foreign exchange reserves as part of sanctions against the Taliban.

UN human rights experts have called on the US to end the freeze on Afghanistan’s foreign assets.

Meanwhile, UN Special Representative in Afghanistan Roza Otunbayeva said Tuesday that the Taliban refuse to hold intra-Afghan dialogue to form an inclusive government.

Roza Otunbayeva told the UN Security Council the country’s de facto authorities considered their government “pretty representative”.

The international community demands that the Taliban form an “inclusive” government where women and minorities are represented in a bid to recognize their rights.

Otunbayeva also expressed concern about the recent activities of ISIS/Daesh-Khorasan, also known as ISIS-K or ISIL-KP in Afghanistan.

“The Taliban basically remain in control of the country but cannot satisfactorily deal with terrorist groups operating inside Afghanistan,” Otunbayeva said. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)