ISLAMABAD, Jan 13, (Asia Free Press): Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan has welcomed the United Nations’ funding pledge of more than $5 billion for Afghanistan to prevent collapsing of basic services in Afghanistan.
The prime minister said that the UN initiative was the result of the outcome of Pakistan hosted special meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers (CFMs) on Afghanistan, which concluded December 19, 2021, reported APP.
In a tweet, posted on his official account, Khan reiterated his earlier appeals to the international community to prevent a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
“We welcome this UN initiative which has followed Pak-initiated special OIC FMs mtg’s (meeting) pledged support. I have been making this appeal to int community to prevent a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan where the ppl (people) have suffered ravages of 40 yrs (years) of conflict,” the prime minister posted on his twitter handle.
Earlier, Speaking in Geneva, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths has informed that $4.4 billion was needed for the Afghanistan Humanitarian Response Plan alone, to pay health workers and others.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said that they were launching an appeal for $4.4 billion for Afghanistan, where nowadays humanitarian crisis is at its peak.
“This is the largest ever appeal for a single country for humanitarian assistance and it is three times the amount needed, and actually fundraised in 2021,” he added.
According to a press statement of the UN, the collapsing structure in the country had left 22 million people in need of assistance inside the country, and 5.7 million people requiring help beyond its borders.
Pakistan played its important and active role to normalise the current financial crisis in terrorism-affected Afghanistan where US has frozen its $10 billion assets after Taliban took over in Kabul mid-August 2021.
