Over 23 million Afghans in dire need of humanitarian aid: UNAMA report

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reports that a staggering 23.7 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance in 2024, Khaama Press reported.

Despite a decline in violence, Afghanistan continues to grapple with significant humanitarian challenges, as emphasised by UNAMA on Sunday.

Of the 23.7 million individuals requiring aid, 5.9 million are women and 5.4 million are men, according to the agency’s statement, as reported by Khaama Press.

Echoing similar concerns, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has also highlighted the severe deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.

Millions of Afghans endure the consequences of four decades of conflict, poverty, repeated disasters and an economic downturn.

Since the Taliban assumed control of the country in August 2021, the political transition, contraction of the economy and reduced levels of donor funding have increased risks and needs at the local level, witnessing an exacerbation of the humanitarian crisis, marked by forced deportations and dwindling international aid.

Returnees from neighbouring countries face a myriad of obstacles, including scarcity of food, clean water, adequate shelter, and employment opportunities.

The recent surge in migrant expulsions from neighbouring nations, coupled with recent earthquakes and natural calamities such as floods, has further underscored the pressing need for humanitarian intervention, Khaama Press reported.

According to the Taliban’s Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, around 2,800 Afghan migrants returned from Iran, both voluntarily and forcibly, on May 1, according to TOLOnews.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has characterised the state of human rights, particularly the rights of women and girls as well as religious and ethnic minorities in Afghanistan, as grave, citing the urgent need for humanitarian aid for 23.7 million people to survive.

According to the report, Iran and Pakistan host around 7.7 million Afghan citizens, approximately 1.6 million of whom have been deported to Afghanistan since 2021.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International and some human rights organisations have expressed concern about the continuation of the process of expelling Afghan migrants from Pakistan and demanded a halt to this trend.