RASC News Agency: Nearly four years after the Taliban’s return to power, Afghanistan remains mired in a worsening humanitarian and economic catastrophe. In response to the enduring crisis, the European Union has announced a new humanitarian assistance package totaling €161 million, intended to support the most vulnerable segments of the population. The announcement was made during a high-level two-day conference held in Brussels, bringing together senior EU officials, member states, Gulf countries, key international donors, representatives from the G7, the United Nations, the World Bank, and both international and Afghanistani NGOs. The meeting focused on strategies to sustain humanitarian operations under increasingly complex conditions in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
According to the EU’s statement, the new funding will be channeled through trusted humanitarian partners operating inside the country, with a focus on food security, emergency healthcare, malnutrition treatment, access to safe drinking water, legal protection, education, and disaster preparedness. The EU estimates that more than 23 million people in Afghanistan over half the population are in urgent need of humanitarian aid. European officials cited an alarming rise in poverty, food insecurity, and the collapse of essential services as evidence of Afghanistan’s position among the world’s most severe humanitarian crises. Equally concerning, the EU expressed deep alarm over the deterioration of human rights, particularly the Taliban’s systemic repression of women and girls. Officials noted that restrictions on female education, employment, and freedom of movement have reached unprecedented levels, demanding a coordinated international response.
“While we are confronted with difficult political realities in Afghanistan, the international community must not abandon the people,” said a senior EU diplomat at the meeting. “Humanitarian principles require us to maintain life-saving support, especially for women and children, regardless of the de facto authorities.” Despite growing frustration with the Taliban’s intransigence and its failure to meet international demands on rights and governance, the EU reaffirmed its long-term commitment to the people of Afghanistan, while clearly separating its support for civilians from any recognition or endorsement of Taliban rule.
In the face of widespread donor fatigue and shrinking global attention, the Brussels summit served as a reminder that Afghanistan’s humanitarian emergency persists and in many ways has worsened since the Taliban seized power in August 2021. The Taliban’s rejection of inclusive governance, their economic mismanagement, and continued gender apartheid have all compounded the suffering of ordinary citizens. The EU’s latest commitment, while vital, underscores a broader dilemma: how to deliver aid effectively in a country where the ruling authorities not only lack legitimacy but are actively dismantling the social infrastructure upon which long-term recovery depends.
