Association for Defending Victims of Terrorism – Describing a “nightmare unfolding in Afghanistan”, the United Nations’ Secretary-General, António Guterres, warned on Thursday that the world is “in a race against time to help the Afghan people.”
Just two days ago, the United Nations launched its largest-ever humanitarian appeal for a single country, requiring more than $5 billion this year.
Speaking to journalists in New York, the UN chief said the scale of the appeal “reflects the scale of the despair.”
“Babies being sold to feed their siblings. Freezing health facilities overflowing with malnourished children. People burning their possessions to keep warm. Livelihoods across the country have been lost.”
Currently, more than half the population of Afghanistan depends on life-saving assistance.
Without a more concerted effort from the international community, Mr. Guterres argued, “virtually every man, woman and child in Afghanistan could face acute poverty.”
According to the Secretary-General, when properly funded, the aid operation has the capacity to achieve “amazing results.”
