UN chief warns of 'humanitarian catastrophe' in Afghanistan • FRANCE 24

 

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Thousands of people are scrambling to flee Afghanistan after the Taliban seized back control of the country, almost two decades after they were ousted by a US-led coalition.

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•   The United Nations has warned that Afghanistan could face a food crisis within a month, leaving one out of three people hungry, as the country’s Taliban rulers try to form a new government to run the country.

“The situation in Afghanistan from a humanitarian perspective continues to be extremely tense,” Ramiz Alakbarov, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Afghanistan, said on Wednesday, adding that more than half of the children in the country are already struggling to find the next meal.

In recent days food prices in Afghanistan have increased by about 50 percent, while petrol has increased as much as 75 percent.

With most of the international aid shut, Alakbarov pointed out that government services cannot function and public employees are unable to receive their salaries.

The Taliban has yet to form a new government, and their international recognition remains in question, preventing the resumption of foreign aid.