Status: 13.09.2021 03:55 a.m.
German Development Minister Müller warned of a humanitarian catastrophe in the country shortly before a UN aid conference for Afghanistan. To combat hunger and disease, he called for a UN aid fund of ten billion euros.
Before the UN Aid Conference for Afghanistan in Geneva, Development Minister Gerd Müller called for a fundamental reform of international emergency aid. “With a UN emergency aid and crisis fund of ten billion euros, we could look ahead to prevent death from hunger and a lack of medication worldwide,” he told the newspapers of the Funke media group.
Drought, pandemic and now the Taliban
The system of international aid must change – away from crisis intervention towards crisis prevention. “It cannot be that one has to die first. It is important to invest preventively.” A humanitarian catastrophe was developing in Afghanistan, warned Müller. “The people are not only suffering from the violent takeover of power by the Taliban. There is also a severe drought. And the corona pandemic is rampant with unchecked force.”
Almost half of the population is already dependent on help. “In the next 12 months, half of the children under the age of five are expected to be acutely malnourished.” But only 40 percent of the humanitarian needs for Afghanistan are met. “The international community must now act quickly and do everything possible to maintain basic services for the Afghan people,” demanded the development minister.
“Better prevention of crises”
The international community should not lose sight of the other world crises – Yemen, the Sahel region and the crisis arc around Syria – emphasized Müller. However, the aid organizations of the United Nations lack reliable and forward-looking funding. “The world community is at a crossroads: To set the course at the UN so that the international community can better prevent crises or to continue to accept uncontrolled flight and millions of suffering,” said Müller.