UN: 4 Out of 10 Afghans Suffer From Hunger
Ramesh Rajasingham, Acting Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, has said that at least four Afghans out of ten suffer from hunger each day.
The UN has called on international donors to provide $1.3 billion for humanitarian relief to Afghans in need.
In a virtual meeting with representatives of various countries and international organizations, the UN official described the situation in Afghanistan as concerning and said that the war and the COVID-19 pandemic have caused half of the population to be in need of humanitarian assistance.
“Forty years of war and displacement, mixed with climate shocks and now COVID-19, have left almost half of Afghanistan’s population needing emergency aid,” said Rajasingham, who moderated the briefing.
On December 2
nd, the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator told the Security Council that over three million displaced Syrians will be “particularly vulnerable” in what is increasingly looking like it will be a tough winter. Ramesh Rajasingham, Acting Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, said this year’s snow and cold are “proving to be incredibly hard for those without adequate shelter … [or] basics like fuel for heating, blankets, warm clothes and shoes.” 6.7 million Syrians have been displaced from their homes to other places in the country. These refugees are forced to seek shelter in unsuitable places like damaged buildings and tents, which will provide insufficient protection as the months get colder. About one third of those 6.7 million are estimated to be at large risk for death.