GENEVA – The international community must continue aiding Afghanistan or face the risk of “disastrous consequences”, United Nations refugee chief Filippo Grandi urged ahead of a donors’ conference starting today.
The appeal also comes after his visit to the Asian nation that is struggling with growing violence, a US pull-out and flagging peace talks.
Grandi said the future of millions of Afghans depends on the outcome of peace negotiations, and on the international community’s commitment to develop the country, including at the two-day conference here.
“Failure on either account would see Afghanistan slide backwards with disastrous consequences, including further displacement possibly on a large scale,” he warned in a statement.
He said the nearly 300,000 Afghans who have been displaced in the country because of conflict this year remain in “acute need” of humanitarian support.
The same goes for the nearly three million previously displaced and the nine million who have lost their livelihoods due to the Covid-19 crisis.
Grandi said it is urgent to conclude peace negotiations between the Afghan government and Taliban, which is fighting to topple Kabul and retake the power it lost during the US-led invasion of the country in 2001.
The peace talks are flagging, and a withdrawal of some US forces as announced by the Donald Trump administration is further weakening the government. – AFP, November 23, 2020
