📅 13 September 2021 🕒 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Geneva (CET) / 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. New York (EDT))
The meeting will highlight the acute needs in the country and will underscore the urgent funding support and actions required by international partners to support the Afghan people during their time of need.
The country faces an extremely dire situation and is confronted with protracted conflict, severe drought, and the COVID-19 pandemic in a context where some 18 million Afghans – almost half of the population – were already in need of aid. More than 550,000 people have been displaced in the country since January 2021. One in three Afghans is experiencing a crisis or emergency level of food insecurity, and more than half of the children under age 5 are at the brink of acute malnutrition. The severe drought is compounding the humanitarian crisis, and the upcoming winter conditions are expected to be harsh. Humanitarian partners are therefore calling for urgent supplies for the country.
The UN remains committed to delivering impartial humanitarian assistance and protection to millions of people in need. Development gains must also be protected to link the humanitarian response with Afghanistan’s medium- and long-term stability. Women’s and girls’ rights, safety, and wellbeing are an essential part of that link.
It is crucial for the international community to take swift action to ensure that the people of Afghanistan have unimpeded access to life-saving assistance and that humanitarian funding to support them is scaled up. To this effect, Secretary-General Guterres is convening the High-level Ministerial Meeting on the Humanitarian Situation in Afghanistan.
This meeting will take place in a hybrid format. Member States are asked to participate at the ministerial level. Participants in Geneva may join in person in Room XIX 19, Palais des Nations.