NRC stresses cash accessibility inside Afghanistan

KABUL (Pajhwok): The UN’s aid appeal for Afghanistan would be meaningless if the world and the caretaker government do not work rapidly to ensure cash accessibility inside the country, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) warned on Tuesday.

Jan Egeland, NRC secretary-general, said Afghanistan’s institutions and banking systems were paralysed at a time when they were desperately needed to reboot the economy and help families support themselves.

“If we are to operationalise today’s important UN appeals and ensure pledges to reach Afghan communities in dire need, international donors must devise and institute practical ways to ensure cash flows in the country – otherwise the humanitarian appeals will be in vain.”

In a statement, the Norwegian diplomat said the UN humanitarian appeals came at an existential moment for millions of Afghans.

Many displaced Afghan families were shielding from the freezing cold in makeshift shelters with almost nothing to eat, he added.

He quoted casual labourers and displaced Afghans as saying that they could previously rely on earning a couple of dollars a day by moving materials and working in the fields.

“But now they mostly return without money or food to their starving families. Without urgent interventions to address critical levels of food insecurity and international support to schools and hospitals, humanitarian needs will spiral further,” he added.

Calling humanitarian aid a lifeline for Afghanistan and a joint responsibility for the world, he said the UN appeal would be meaningless if work was not stepped up to ensure cash was accessible inside the country.

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