Babies being sold to feed siblings, UN chief describe Afghanistan situation worrying

The South Asia Times report

NEW YORK (TSAT) - The United Nations Secretary General warned that situation in Afghanistan is alarming as people selling their babies to feed their families.

Speaking to journalists, Secretary-General, António Guterres said “nightmare unfolding in Afghanistan” as the world is “in a race against time to help the Afghan people.”

“Babies being sold to feed their siblings. Freezing health facilities overflowing with malnourished children. People burning their possessions to keep warm. Livelihoods across the country have been lost,” according to UN news the world body chief as saying.

His statement came just two days after, the UN launched its largest ever humanitarian appeal for a single country requiring over $5 billion this year to help the Afghan people.

According to UN agencies over 23 million Afghans are facing food shortage and need life assistance.

He added that every man, woman and child in Afghanistan currently could face acute poverty.

Afghanistan is currently facing severe economic crisis after Taliban took over Kabul in mid-August and US imposed financial sanctions on Afghanistan.

Washington also frozen Afghanistan’s over $10 billion assets that pushed the war-torn country into economic crisis.

According to the Secretary-General, when properly funded, the aid operation has the capacity to achieve “amazing results.”

Last year, the UN and its humanitarian partners reached 18 million people across the country, over 60 per cent more than the year before.

These workers now have access to areas and communities that have been off-limits for years, but humanitarian operations need more money and more flexibility, according to the News UN.

“Freezing temperatures and frozen assets are a lethal combination for the people of Afghanistan”, Mr. Guterres warned.

The UN chief also pointed to rules and conditions that prevent money from being used to save lives and the economy, arguing that they should be suspended.

“International funding should be allowed to pay the salaries of public-sector workers, and to help Afghan institutions deliver healthcare, education and other vital services”, he said.

To avoid economic collapse, the Secretary-General believes that the function of Afghanistan’s Central Bank must be preserved. On top of that, a path for conditional release of foreign currency reserves should be identified.

According to him, the United Nations is taking steps to inject cash into the economy “through creative authorized arrangements”, but it is “a drop in the bucket.”

Last month the World Bank transferred $280 million to finance UNICEF and World Food Program and UN chief hope soon the country will receive more than $1.2 billion more.