UN assistance mission repeats commitment to stay in Afghanistan amid crisis

As the humanitarian crisis continues to persist in war-torn Afghanistan under Taliban rule, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has reaffirmed its commitment to stay TOLOnews reported

As the humanitarian crisis continues to persist in war-torn Afghanistan under Taliban rule, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has reaffirmed its "commitment to stay and deliver on behalf of the men, women, and children of Afghanistan," TOLOnews reported.

UNAMA earlier suspended the work of all its Afghan national staff following a ban on its female workers by the interim government.

According to UNAMA, it held extensive consultations with a variety of Afghan stakeholders, including civil society and women's groups, member states, and donors, after the ban on women working in NGOs was implemented.

"Lifting restrictions and impediments on the United Nations and national and international NGOs on the delivery of aid and programmes supporting Afghans is essential," UNAMA said, according to TOLOnews.

Recently, the UN's World Food Programme said that it has committed to carrying out its duty in Afghanistan regardless of any political divide.

Hsiao-Wei Lee, the head of the UN World Food Programme in Afghanistan, stated on Thursday this week in Berlin, Germany, that the organization had no plans to leave the country, as the people of Afghanistan continue to live miserably.

"Humanitarian aid is vital to most vulnerable people, including women, children and people with disabilities," she said.

Earlier in January the World Food Programme underlined that an estimated 875,000 children are expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition in 2023 in Afghanistan, TOLOnews reported. The WFP report also stated that 2.3 million children as well as 840,000 women are also on the verge of suffering from moderate acute malnutrition.

The economic and political situation of Afghanistan has only gone worse since the Taliban took control of the country in mid-August of 2021.

Afghanistan is currently grappling with a serious humanitarian crisis as according to international assessments, the country now has the highest number of people in emergency food insecurity in the world.

Additionally, the Ukraine crisis has had a massive impact on the rise in food costs and how it was out of reach for many Afghans. Afghan children and women are impacted the most by the atrocities that the Taliban has unleashed in the country since taking control.

The de facto government forbade the UN relief workers from working, which caused a global outcry, Khaama Press reported. The UN organisations encouraged the Taliban to remove the ban on women working for humanitarian organisations, arguing that it would be challenging to aid the nation without female assistance.