Guterres calls on US to exempt development and humanitarian funds from aid ‘pause’
27 January 2025
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called on the United States to exempt development and humanitarian funds from its aid “pause” to Afghanistan.
In a letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Guterres said that the aid freeze was “having a devastating impact on the Afghan people, particularly women and children.”
“I urge you to reconsider the aid pause and to exempt development and humanitarian funds from this measure,” Guterres wrote.
The US suspended aid to Afghanistan in August 2021 after the Taliban took control of the country. The US has said that the aid freeze is necessary to pressure the Taliban into forming an inclusive government and respecting human rights.
However, the UN and other humanitarian organizations have warned that the aid freeze is causing a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. The UN has estimated that 23 million Afghanis are facing food insecurity, and 9 million are at risk of famine.
Guterres said that the UN is “deeply concerned” about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. He said that the aid freeze is “making it impossible for us to provide essential services to the Afghan people.”
“I urge you to reconsider the aid pause and to exempt development and humanitarian funds from this measure,” Guterres wrote.
The US has not yet responded to Guterres’s letter.
Additional information
- The US is the largest donor to Afghanistan, providing over $1 billion in aid in 2020.
- The aid freeze has been criticized by the UN, the World Bank, and other humanitarian organizations.
- The Taliban has said that the aid freeze is “unfair” and is causing a humanitarian crisis.
- The US has said that it is committed to providing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, but that it will not release the funds until the Taliban meets certain conditions.
Guterres calls on US to exempt development and humanitarian funds from aid ‘pause’
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