Business Standard

Tuesday, December 24, 2024 | 05:42 AM ISTEN Hindi

Notification Icon
userprofile IconSearch

UN agencies call for 'humanitarian airbridge' for aid supply to Afghanistan

The World Health Organization and UNICEF are calling for a humanitarian airbridge to be set up immediately to allow the unhindered delivery of medicines and other aid supplies to Afghanistan

The United States played a pivotal role in helping to create the WHO in 1948. Just over 70 years later, President Trump is withdrawing the country from the agency amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Martial Trezzini/EPA

AP Berlin

The World Health Organization and UNICEF are calling for a humanitarian airbridge to be set up immediately to allow the unhindered delivery of medicines and other aid supplies to Afghanistan.

The two U.N. agencies said in a statement Sunday that they are committed to stay and deliver for the people of Afghanistan.

But they added that with no commercial aircraft currently permitted to land in Kabul, we have no way to get supplies into the country and to those in need. They noted that other humanitarian agencies face similar problems.

The agencies said that, even before the Taliban's recent takeover of Afghanistan, the country required the world's third-largest humanitarian operation, with more than 18 million people needing help.

 

They said that while the main focus in recent days has been the evacuation of foreigners and vulnerable Afghans, the massive humanitarian needs facing the majority of the population should not -- and cannot -- be neglected.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Don't miss the most important news and views of the day. Get them on our Telegram channel

First Published: Aug 23 2021 | 1:37 AM IST

Explore News