Britain, UN to co-host Afghan aid conference

KABUL (Pajhwok): The United Kingdom will co-host a global aid conference with the United Nations next month to help raise funds for Afghanistan.

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss announced on Tuesday: “The scale of need is unparalleled, and consequences of inaction will be devastating.”

In a statement, she said: “The UK is determined to lead the global effort. We will bring international allies together to raise vital aid to deliver food, shelter and health services, protect women and girls and support stability in the region.”

The organisers seek to raise $4.4 billion pounds to help with health and education. The aid will be delivered through UN agencies and charities on the ground.

The foreign secretary said the virtual conference is aimed to help the UN raise $4.4 billion for Afghanistan, the largest amount it has ever requested for a single country.

Last month, the UN launched an appeal to raise $4.4 billion in aid to help over 24.4 million Afghans needing urgent humanitarian support to survive.

Donor countries, UN agencies and members of Afghan civil society are expected to take part in the virtual conference.

She called the event a critical moment for the global fraternity to help overcome the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths said: “We are very grateful to the UK for co-hosting this important event to mobilise international support for the humanitarian needs of Afghanistan.”

PAN Monitor/mud