Afghanistan could face full economic collapse

United Nations UN SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres issued a warning against the ldquoseriousrdquo possibility of a complete economic collapse in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover Guterres made the remarks here on Monday while convening a highlevel ministerial meeting on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan reports Xinhua news agency He highlighted the acute and urgent need for funding support and action in the countryThe people of Afghanistan need a lifeline After decades of war suffering and insecurity they face perhaps their most perilous hourrdquo he said during his opening remarks at the meetingPassengers stand in a queue to board a Pakistan International Airlines plane which is the first international commercial flight to land since August 15 at the Kabul airportldquoLet us be clear This conference is not simply about what we will give to the people of Afghanistan It is about what we owerdquo he addedThe UN chief said that as of today one in three Afghans do not know where their next meal will come from and their basic public services are close to collapseWorkers paint over murals on a concrete wall along a street in Kabul PicAFPDue to a severe drought many people could run out of food by the end of this month The threat of economic collapse was discussed at a later press conference on MondayThe risk comes from limitations in Afghanistanrsquos financial system meaning that a number of basic economic functions cannot be delivered according to the UN chiefldquoThe international community must find ways to make cash available to allow the Afghan economy to breathe a total collapse would have devastating consequences to the people and risk destabilising neighbouring countries with a massive outflowrdquo he saidAhmadi family prays at the cemetery next to graves of family members killed by a US drone strike in Kabul Afghanistan on Monday PicAPPTIGuterres also announced that he had asked the UN UnderSecretaryGeneral for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths to travel to Kabul to meet the Taliban leadershipldquoThe de facto authorities pledged in person and in a followup letter to UnderSecretaryGeneral Griffiths that they will cooperate to ensure assistance is delivered to the people of AfghanistanrdquoAsked about whether he would be willing to go to Kabul himself Guterres said that ldquothis is something to decide at the right moment when the right conditions are metrdquo124000No of people the US has evacuated from Afghanistan153No of Afghan media outlets that have stopped operations after Taliban takeoverlsquoUS to decide on its ties with PakistanrsquoThe United States is going to be looking at its ties with Pakistan in the coming weeks to formulate the role America wants Islamabad to play in the future of Afghanistan Secretary of State Antony Blinken informed Congress During his first testimony in Congress after the Taliban seized control of Kabul Secretary of State Blinken noted that Pakistan has ldquoharbouredrdquo members of the Taliban including the terrorists from the proscribed Haqqani networkUSD 12bn announced in aid for AfghanistanThe international community has announced over USD 12 billion in aid for the Afghanistan humanitarian crisis with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres underlining the importance to engage with the Taliban to ensure continued humanitarian assistance in the country and address other concerns including terrorism human rights and the nature of the government UN agencies and nongovernmental partners launched a flash appeal seeking USD 606 million for the remainder of the year to bring vital relief to 11 million people in the wartorn nationThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliabilitsy and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever