RASC News Agency: The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Afghanistan has expressed profound concern over the significant reduction in humanitarian aid to the country, warning that this decline is plunging the Afghanistani people into increasingly dire conditions. On Tuesday, August 13, OCHA reported a sharp decrease in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, emphasizing that this reduction is exacerbating an already precarious situation. The organization noted that the level of aid provided to Afghanistan has significantly diminished compared to previous months, a trend that is deeply troubling.
According to OCHA, of the $3.06 billion requested for humanitarian aid to Afghanistan in 2024, only 25% has been secured. This reduction in aid comes at a time when Afghanistan is grappling with one of the most severe humanitarian crises in the world. OCHA’s statistics reveal that 23.7 million people in Afghanistan are in need of humanitarian assistance, 12.4 million are facing food insecurity, and 48% of the population lives below the poverty line.
Under Taliban rule, Afghanistan remains one of the poorest countries in the world, with soaring unemployment and escalating insecurity. It is crucial to note that this reduction in humanitarian aid is occurring amidst warnings from relief organizations about the entrapment of Afghanistani citizens in a vicious cycle of poverty, displacement, and despair. These organizations contend that the people of Afghanistan are paying the price for global indifference.
Over the past three years, the people of Afghanistan have struggled with pervasive poverty and unemployment, leading many to seek refuge in neighboring countries, particularly Pakistan and Iran, in search of work. Furthermore, an alarming number of young Afghanistanis have resorted to ending their own lives in response to these overwhelming hardships.
