Bruno Lemarquis, the UN Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan, has said that the country is facing a worsening humanitarian crisis amid widespread restrictions on rights, five years after the Taliban returned to power.
The United Nations reported on Friday, November 6, that Lemarquis made the remarks in New York.
According to the report, Lemarquis said humanitarian needs in Afghanistan are expected to rise sharply in 2027.
He attributed the expected increase to the large-scale arrival of returnees, regional instability and an El Niño weather pattern that is forecast to be more severe than usual.
He added that humanitarian funding for Afghanistan had fallen from $2 billion three years ago to $570 million this year.
Lemarquis also said that 700 primary healthcare centres across Afghanistan had closed over the past year.
Emphasizing that the consequences of the situation would be “very, very, very significant,” Lemarquis urged the international community not to turn its back on Afghanistan.
“The consequences of this situation could extend beyond Afghanistan’s borders and potentially affect regional security, regional stability and migration routes,” he warned.
According to UN figures, more than 20 million people in Afghanistan are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.
