When the Taliban took Kabul one year ago, the UK promised to “help the people of Afghanistan to choose the best of all their possible futures”. Yet today this seems a distant reality. Severe drought and economic collapse have left millions on the brink of famine, while food prices and extreme poverty soar. Against the background of deteriorating human rights, women and girls are suffering disproportionately. In March the UK led efforts to raise aid for Afghanistan but pledges fell far short of what is required. Even if it had succeeded, we know that ultimately aid alone cannot replace a functioning economy.
We urge the UK to step up by encouraging international partners to increase humanitarian funding to stave off the immediate crisis, and continue to support the funding of the World Bank’s development programmes. We need to establish a road map to restore the basic functions of the Afghan Central Bank, a commitment to the disbursal of new Afghani banknotes and the phased release of frozen assets. Channels of influence must be found to ensure that the Taliban uphold human rights.
Signed
- Gwen Hines, CEO, Save the Children UK
- Elizabeth Winter, executive director, British & Irish Agencies in Afghanistan Group
- Martin Hartberg, UK director, Norwegian Refugee Council
- Charles Davy, managing director, Afghanaid
- Tufail Hussain, UK director, Islamic Relief
- Mark Sheard, CEO, World Vision UK
- John Good, acting CEO, ActionAid UK
- Laura Kyrke-Smith, executive director, International Rescue Committee UK
- Ojobo Ode Atuluku, international programme director, Christian Aid
- Stephanie Draper, CEO, Bond
- Howard Mollett, head of humanitarian policy, CAFOD
- Jean-Michel Grand, executive director, Action Against Hunger UK
ENDS
Notes to editor
- Samy Guessabi, Director of Action Against Hunger in Afghanistan is available for interviews upon request. For Action Against Hunger UK interview requests, please contact Lucy or David on the details below.
- Read the joint letter published in the Times here and the joint media statement, published in the Guardian here.
- Action Against Hunger is the world’s leading charity stopping life-threatening hunger in its tracks. By training parents and healthcare workers to spot the signs, we get life-saving care to people who need it. Action Against Hunger’s research drives forward understanding of how to predict, prevent and treat life-threatening hunger. With unbeatable knowledge and unstoppable determination, the charity supported more than 26 million people across 51 countries in 2021.
- For more information, please visit Action Against Hunger, follow Action Against Hunger on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, and Instagram.