RASC News Agency: The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has announced that Australia has committed $1.3 million to Afghanistan’s humanitarian fund for 2024, aiming to address the country’s escalating humanitarian needs. According to OCHA, this critical aid from Australia will help meet the immediate needs of vulnerable populations in Afghanistan over the coming year. Each day, the number of Afghanistanis reliant on foreign assistance continues to surge. The World Food Program (WFP) recently reported that 12.4 million people across Afghanistan are experiencing “acute” food insecurity.
WFP highlights the widespread poverty and unemployment plaguing Afghanistani citizens, who have few means to sustain themselves and are increasingly dependent on international aid. The agency further noted that many Afghanistanis face uncertainty about how they will secure their next meal. In an earlier report, WFP emphasized that an “urgent” budget of $617 million is required to provide assistance packages to Afghanistan’s needy population through December 2024.
The United Nations also issued a statement explaining that donor countries have reduced aid to Afghanistan this year due to the Taliban’s restrictive policies, particularly those affecting women’s employment in the workforce. As per the UN, this decline in assistance has placed immense strain on the budgets of humanitarian agencies, further deepening Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis.
Previously, relief organizations have warned that without continued support, Afghanistani citizens are likely to face even harsher conditions in the coming months.
