The United Kingdom will co-host next month an international aid conference for Afghanistan with the United Nations, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss confirmed on Tuesday, as the UN seeks $4.4 billion, the largest the UN has ever sought for a single country for meeting the growing humanitarian needs. 

The virtual conference comes at a time when aid groups are warning of catastrophic consequences amid the worsening economic situation in the country. 98 percent of Afghans aren’t eating enough, UN estimates said, adding workers of essential services remain unpaid for months. 

"The UK is determined to lead the global effort. We will bring international allies together to raise vital aid to deliver food, shelter, and health services, protect women and girls, and support stability in the region,” Foreign Secretary Truss said in a statement. 

Afghanistan, a highly aid-dependent country, plunged into what has become the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, soon after the country fell to the hardline Islamist Taliban movement in August last year. 

Donors responded to the Taliban's violent takeover by cutting off their aid and development assistance, crippling the government’s ability to provide essential services. The US also blocked the Taliban from accessing the $7.0 billion Afghan reserves kept in US banks, which crippled the country’s private sector.

“The scale of need is unparalleled, and consequences of inaction will be devastating," Truss said on Tuesday. 

Recently, US President Joe Biden had signed an executive order releasing half of the frozen Afghan reserves for humanitarian operation in the country, in a move criticized by many. The Taliban also wrote to the Biden administration, seeking reconsideration of the decision. 

Since coming to power in August last year, the Taliban failed to win recognition from any country. The group’s reluctance to form an inclusive government and provide commitment on human rights issues, especially educational and work rights for women, made it even harder for the world community to legitimize their regime. 

(SAM)