UN officials warn of massive poverty, humanitarian despair in Afghanistan, Kabul - 24 Jun 2024
An Afghan boy sells snacks on road side in Kabul, Afghanistan, 24 June 2024. UN officials have raised alarms over the severe poverty and humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, describing the situation as 'alarmingly high' in a briefing to the UN Security Council on 21 June. Top representatives from the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) highlighted the dire impact on civilians since the Taliban's takeover in August 2021. Roza Otunbayeva, UN Special Representative for Afghanistan, emphasized the widespread poverty affecting the country, urging the international community to move beyond 'crisis management mode'.