Iran Press/ America: Martin Griffiths said the United Nations had received only a third of the $4.4 billion needed to meet humanitarian needs in Afghanistan in 2022. “We don’t have enough money,” he said.
The council met for its quarterly meeting on Afghanistan, a day after an earthquake killed at least 1,000 people in a remote part of the country.
The United Nations is trying to kickstart a system – described as a Humanitarian Exchange Facility (HEF) – for aid and Afghan currency in a plan to prevent economic crises and bypass Taliban leaders under sanctions.
“We have seen limited progress due to resistance by genuine authorities. This is an issue that is not going to fix itself,” Martin Griffiths said, adding that until Afghanistan’s formal banking system can function properly again, the UN needs to get the humanitarian exchange facility up and running.
He said nearly half of aid groups surveyed recently by the United Nations reported difficulty transferring money to Afghanistan, down from 87% in October, adding: “The direction of travel is positive, but the figure remains alarming.”
Griffiths said two-thirds of aid groups disrupted their programs, citing a lack of available cash in Afghanistan.
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Griffiths said Taliban officials were increasingly interfering with the delivery of humanitarian aid, despite a commitment to UN officials in September.
“National and local authorities are seeking a role to play in selecting beneficiaries and providing assistance to the people on their priority list, citing an almost universal level of need,” he said.
“We are also seeing greater demand by the Taliban for data and information regarding budgets and staffing contracts,” she said, adding that aid groups “face continued difficulties as they employ Afghan women in some tasks.” Let’s try to keep it.”
The Taliban could not immediately be reached for comment on Griffith’s remarks.
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