European Union contributes 3 million euros to Afghanistan humanitarian aid

Kabul [Afghanistan], December 24 : The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid (OCHA) said the European Union has contributed 3 million euros to Afghanistan's humanitarian aid, Afghanistan-based Khaama Press reported.
According to OCHA, the funds provided by the EU will enable aid agencies to give necessary assistance and protection to millions in need across Afghanistan, Khaama Press reported.
Throughout the year, the European Union has been supporting Afghanistan by providing several aid packages to address the ongoing crisis. The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan remains dire, with more than half of the population in need of assistance, according to a Khaama Press report.
OCHA has stated that USD 3 billion will be required for adequate aid in Afghanistan in the coming year. Initially, OCHA for the year 2023 requested USD 4.6 billion for Afghanistan's aid efforts. However, it has not received all the funds, resulting in a significant funding shortfall for aid needs in Afghanistan, Khaama Press reported.
Due to the funding gap, an estimated 10 million people in Afghanistan lost access to vital food aid from May to November, according to OCHA. The funding shortfall comes amid a severe humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, exacerbated by harsh winter conditions. The situation in Afghanistan is critical as Afghan migrants face forced deportation from Pakistan, further adding to the already dire circumstances.
The financial shortfall hampers the delivery of essential aid and services, affecting the vulnerable people in need. The convergence of the harsh winter, the humanitarian crisis and the influx of returning migrants causes an escalating need for increased support and resources.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that over one million children in Afghanistan are facing severe malnutrition, Afghanistan-based TOLO News reported.
According to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Afghanistan needs USD 185 million to fight against malnutrition. In a post on X, he said that 30 per cent of the total Afghanistan population faces acute food insecurity.
He said: "Close to 1 million children are severely malnourished and 2.3 million are suffering from moderate acute malnutrition. WHO needs USD 185 million to continue providing medicine and supporting hospitals to prevent more Afghan children and women from dying of malnutrition and the consequences of food insecurity."
Afghanistan's Taliban-appointed Ministry of Public Health said that the number of malnourished mothers and children in the country has slightly increased compared to past years.
According to the doctors of Indira Gandhi Children's Hospital, the number of malnourished children in Afghanistan has increased compared to past years, and in the winter 20 to 25 malnourished children visited the hospital.
A nurse, Fatima Azimi, said: "Compared to the past year, especially in winter, our patients increased and nowadays 15 to 20 patients are referred daily."
"For children not to face malnutrition, respectable families should increase the distance between births and observe health guidelines, and our society should be saved from poverty and improved," said a doctor Abdul Gafoor Rasooli, according to TOLO News.