UK to co-host UN virtual summit on Afghanistan humanitarian crisis

UK on Tuesday (local time) said that it will co-host an upcoming United Nations virtual pledging summit to help address the growing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

The international aid conference will be organized next month to help alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, reported Tolo News.

In a press release, the UK government said the virtual pledging conference is aimed to help the UN raise USD 4.4 billion for Afghanistan, the largest amount it has ever requested for a single country.

The UN has repeatedly warned of the looming humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and has called on the international community to support the people of Afghanistan in this difficult time, reported Tolo News.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths said, "We are very grateful to the UK for co-hosting this important event to mobilize international support for the humanitarian needs of Afghanistan. We welcome donors from around the globe to join together to save the lives and futures of Afghans."

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

Donor countries, UN agencies and members of the Afghan civil society are expected to participate in the virtual event, the UK government said.

"The conference is a critical moment for the international community to step up support in an effort to stop the growing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. The scale of need is unparalleled, and consequences of inaction will be devastating," UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said.

Last year, the UK committed Pound 286 million to support Afghans, reported Tolo News.

Following the collapse of the former government, Afghanistan's central bank's assets were frozen abroad, and the international development assistance was cut off.

Since then, Afghanistan has faced a dire economic and humanitarian situation.

Meanwhile, on Friday, US President Joe Biden signed an executive order calling for half of the USD 7 billion of the Afghan frozen funds to be used for compensation for victims of 9/11.