UN officials warn over lack of funding for Afghanistan humanitarian response

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - Senior UN officials on Monday warned that critical humanitarian operations in Afghanistan are being severely undermined due to significant funding gaps, with lifesaving assistance and demining activities facing immediate threats.

"Almost midway through the year, and the Afghanistan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan is just 19% funded," said Roza Otunbayeva, the UN special representative for Afghanistan, during a UN Security Council session.

"This shortfall, which has been compounded by recent dramatic cuts in donor funding, jeopardizes the humanitarian response at a time when the region is experiencing considerable volatility," she said.

Noting the growing challenges in humanitarian mine action, Otunbayeva said that, "the funding available to UN partners for this critical work ends in July."

"Mine action NGOs will be working in isolation, and contamination and clearance data will not be available to other humanitarian and development actors," she added.

She warned that "the grim picture of demining work in Afghanistan reflects broader cuts in lifesaving humanitarian assistance."

While saying that interim Taliban authorities have provided relative stability and promoted modest economic activity, she noted they continue to enforce "highly restrictive and discriminatory policies on the Afghan people," particularly against women and girls.

Otunbayeva further stressed that the latest hostilities between Israel and Iran caused further challenges to the situation in Afghanistan.

"The current challenges are significant enough. They will be made worse with regional instability," she said.

UN Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Joyce Msuya echoed concerns over the deepening crisis, and stated that "the people of Afghanistan face persistent and acute humanitarian needs compounded by decades of conflict, entrenched poverty, an ever-harsher climate, severe restrictions on the rights of women and girls and highly constrained funding environment."

"One in every five Afghans is hungry. 3.5 million children are acutely malnourished," Msuya said.

Warning that Kabul "risks becoming the first city in modern times to run out of water, as water levels within its aquifers have dropped by up to 30 meters in the past decade," she said parts of the country stand on the "cusp of drought" once again – the fourth time in just five years.

Msuya further stated that the response plan remains under 21% funded, with a gap of $1.9 billion.