Roza Otunbayeva, head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), stated at the Security Council meeting that despite billions of dollars flowing into Afghanistan, the country still faces widespread poverty.
At the meeting, the head of UNAMA praised the Islamic Emirate’s efforts towards self-sufficiency and emphasized that regional cooperation in enhancing trade, diplomatic contacts, and economic investments has improved stability in Afghanistan.
Roza Otunbayeva said, “More than seven billion dollars have been provided by international donors for humanitarian assistance and more than four billion to support basic human needs to the Afghan people since the Taliban takeover.”
Meanwhile, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has identified Afghanistan as ranked third in the world for the number of people in need.
Lisa Doughten, head of the UN Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs Humanitarian Financing and Resource Mobilization Division, said at a Security Council meeting on Afghanistan, “More than 50 percent of the population – some 23.7 million people – require humanitarian assistance this year, the third highest number of people in need in the world. Half the population lives in poverty. One in four Afghans are uncertain where their next meal will come from. Nearly three million children are experiencing acute levels of hunger.”
Ambassador Hwang Joon-kook, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea, also stated that climate change in Afghanistan has caused suffering and displacement.
However, the Ministry of Economy stated that international community aid has been effective in reducing poverty in Afghanistan.
Abdul Latif Nazari, Deputy Minister of Economy, told TOLOnews, “The international community’s aid has played a role in reducing poverty in Afghanistan, and we call for an increase in aid to the Afghan people.”
Abdul Zahoor Madaber, an economic analyst, told TOLOnews, “According to Roza Otunbayeva’s statements, the Islamic Emirate needs to cooperate with UNAMA, and UNAMA with the Islamic Emirate, to significantly reduce poverty in Afghanistan.”
In her report to the Security Council, the head of the UN mission in Afghanistan noted that the restrictions have obscured the achievements of the Islamic Emirate and stated that the Islamic Emirate underestimates the help of the international community, while this aid has contributed to the success of the interim government.