London, UK, March 31, 2022 — David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, said:
“The failure to properly fund the humanitarian appeal today will have immediate and devastating consequences for the Afghan people. This Summit today offered a small window of opportunity to stave off further suffering in 2022. Whilst we must welcome the UK’s leadership as co-host of this Summit, and their own pledge of a further 286 million pounds in humanitarian aid, the failure to meet this funding appeal must hang heavy on the shoulders of donors. We are fast running out of time, as hunger and humanitarian need increases everyday. As a bare minimum, we urgently need to see donors working together to ensure that the UN’s humanitarian funding requirements for 2022 are met - but even this essential step is just a temporary measure to prevent further suffering. In the longer term, meaningful steps must be taken to halt the drivers of a failing economy; otherwise the dire situation that Afghan people currently face, risks becoming a permanent reality.”