August 18, 2021 — Melanie Ward, IRC UK Executive Director, said:
“The Prime Minister announced an increase in funding with immediate effect, which is a welcome increase to the 10% announced by the Foreign Secretary earlier this week. Without more detail in the PM’s statement, it will be critical to ensure this funding remains flexible to support a rapidly changing environment on the ground and that it reaches frontline NGOs who are committed to staying and delivering urgent humanitarian aid, particularly to women and girls. In addition it is vital that U.K. diplomatic leverage is used to secure agreements from all parties to end the violence, ensure unfettered access for aid, and prioritise efforts to protect civilians who have borne the brunt of this vicious conflict.
“But today’s decision to resettle just 10,000 Afghans this year and 20,000 over the coming years is inadequate given the scale of need and the UK's capacity to help. It is urgent that the Government simplifies and ramps up resettlement for vulnerable Afghans so that the UK helps its fair share to rebuild their lives in safety. Afghanistan is not a safe country to return to and it is right that the UK has committed to suspend returns to a country where their lives could be at imminent risk.”