(CNN) – The population of Afghanistan is facing the “collapse of an entire country” as the poverty rate continues to rise, the UN Secretary-General (UN) warned on Monday. António Guterres, in his opening speech at a United Nations aid conference for Afghanistan in Geneva.
According to the UN Secretary-General, even before the Taliban took power, Afghans were already “experiencing one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.”
“Today, one in three Afghans does not know where their next meal will come from. The poverty rate is soaring, and basic public services are on the verge of collapsing,” Guterres said.
The exodus of Afghans after the Taliban victory and the recent drought have also contributed to this perfect storm occurring, he added.
Guterres warned attendees that many Afghans “could run out of food at the end of these months, just as winter is approaching.”
Accordingly, he implored the international community to support the so-called UN urgency, which aims to raise $ 606 million to help 11 million people in the next four months.
UN calls for boosting humanitarian access to Afghanistan
Guterres also called on countries to “boost humanitarian access” to the country, including the airlift with Kabul airport.
Although UN Humanitarian Air Service flights between Kabul and Islamabad, Pakistan, resumed on Sunday, Guterres said “many more” flights of this nature are needed for aid workers and humanitarian supplies enter and leave the country.
Finally, the international community must strengthen the damaged Afghan economy by providing cash, Guterres said.
“A total collapse will have devastating consequences for the population, and runs the risk of destabilizing neighboring countries with a mass exodus,” he warned.
Guterres concluded by recalling that “time is short, and events are moving rapidly in Afghanistan,” emphasizing the importance of extending a “lifeline” to the troubled country.