MANILA – The Philippine government has pledged USD100,000 or approximately PHP5.1 million to support the humanitarian response in Afghanistan, the Philippine Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva said Friday.
"(The) Philippines announces a voluntary contribution of USD100,000 to support the humanitarian response in Afghanistan. This is in line with our strong humanitarian tradition and solidarity with the Afghan people," it said in a statement.
The country's voluntary contribution was made during a high-level pledging event that was launched by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and co-hosted by the United Kingdom, Germany, and Qatar.
The UN-coordinated relief operation for Afghans is appealing for USD4.4 billion, three times the amount requested in 2021.
A year after the Taliban fighters seized the capital and took over the country, Afghanistan was plunged into an economic and humanitarian crisis of disastrous proportions.
“Without immediate action, we face a starvation and malnutrition crisis in Afghanistan," the UN chief said.
Guterres said the Afghan people are already selling their children and even body parts in order to feed their families. With the country's "effectively collapsed" economy, it said there is "very little" cash that even international aid could now barely function.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), food security levels have "plunged at an alarming rate, leaving half the population facing acute hunger, including nine million in a state of emergency food insecurity – the highest number in the world."
Brought about by years of conflict and recurring drought, the UN said more than 24.4 million people require humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan to survive. (PNA)
