Afghanistan humanitarian situation ‘dramatic’, say German aid groups

Berlin, Aug. 15, (dpa/GNA) – German aid organizations have painted a bleak picture of the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan two years after the Taliban returned to power.

The Asia Regional Director of Welthungerhilfe, Elke Gottschalk, described the situation as “dramatic” to German public broadcaster ARD on Tuesday.

While the country is no longer at war, 17 million people are threatened by hunger and 29 million people are dependent on humanitarian aid, she said.

“You can see this on every street corner,” Gottschalk said.

The hardline Islamist Taliban regained power in Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, even before US troops had completed their withdrawal. They initially promised to govern more moderately, but their rule has become more and more authoritarian and dogmatic.

The humanitarian and economic situation in the country is considered precarious.

The ban on women working for non-governmental organizations at the end of 2022 has brought new problems, according to Gottschalk.

However, 20% of Welthungerhilfe employees are women, she said, adding that each of those positions had to be negotiated with the Taliban on the ground. Every project at district and provincial level must be presented to the Taliban and approved, Gottschalk said.

The head of the Kabul office of Caritas International, Stefan Recker, told Deutschlandfunk radio on Tuesday that two women were still working for the organization but they were not allowed to work in the office.

Recker, who is back on the ground, said the number of beggars on Afghanistan’s streets had visibly increased. The situation is desperate and many people still want to flee, he said.

Caritas also has working-level contacts with the Taliban. This is necessary for visas, authorizations or because of reporting obligations, he said, stressing that those were not political contacts.

Recker said he was hopeful because of the increased security situation and the decline in street crime. He also praised the resilience of Afghans and especially Afghan women.

GNA