Humanitarian agencies staying in Afghanistan and delivering to people in need: UN body

Geneva, Aug 16 (AP) The UN humanitarian aid coordination agency says it and partners are staying and delivering to people in need despite a complex security situation in Afghanistan following a sweep by Taliban forces across the country.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid (OCHA) says in a note: The humanitarian community – both the UN and nongovernmental organisations – remains committed to helping people in the country.

OCHA said thousands of internally displaced people who have been identified in recent weeks have received assistance including food, cash, health care, water, and sanitation support.

While the security environment is highly complex, humanitarian agencies are staying and delivering to people in need, OCHA said.

Even before the upheaval, some 18.4 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan, OCHA said, and its USD 1.3 billion humanitarian response plan for the country is only 38% funded. (AP)