The UN humanitarians have warned of critical aid funding gaps for more than 21 million people in Afghanistan, saying that some relief already has been trimmed.
With more than halfway through the year, the $3.2 billion appeal to aid almost half the population across Afghanistan is less than 25 per cent funded, Xinhua news agency quoted the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) as saying in its latest situation update.
"We face critical funding gaps amounting to $1.3 billion, with many programs already ended or considerably scaled back due to insufficient resources and aid pipelines at risk of imminent rupture, including for food assistance," OCHA said.
The humanitarian office said it only has a short window of opportunity to procure and position vital assistance and supplies before the lean season and winter begin.
After more than four decades of conflict and instability in Afghanistan, an estimated 28.3 million Afghans -- two-thirds of the population, including women and girls -- are in need of humanitarian and protection assistance.
More than 1.6 million Afghans have fled the country since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, bringing the total number of Afghans in neighboring countries to 8.2 million -- accounting for one of the largest protracted refugee situations in the world.
At least 3.2 million Afghans are displaced within their own country.
Meanwhile, two-thirds of the war-torn country’s population is food insecure, including 875,000 children facing acute malnutrition.
Women and girls remain most at risk.
India hit 8 military bases in Pakistan, including Sialkot station: Centre
India responded strongly to Pakistan’s repeated drone and missile attacks and hit at least eight military targets inside Pakistan on Friday night with precision, thereby causing significant damage, the Centre told the Press, as part of a special briefing on 'Operation Sindoor'.
Pak troops moving into forward areas, Indian forces in high state of operational readiness: Govt
India on Saturday said that Pakistan was escalating tensions along the Western border by moving troops into forward areas, suggesting an offensive intent to intensify hostilities.
Pak fired high-speed missile, tried to hit health facilities, schools but was thwarted: Centre slams escalation bid
The Centre, in a special briefing on 'Operation Sindoor' on Saturday, called out Pakistan’s brazen attempt to escalate the matter by repeatedly targeting India’s military as well as civilian centres and also slammed the state-sponsored propaganda machinery for spewing canards.
Coded messages in phones of 2 arrested JMB men in Bengal show links with other fundamentalist groups
The West Bengal Police recovered several coded and encrypted messages from the mobile phones of Aazmal Hossain and Saheb Ali Khan, the two Indian associates of Bangladesh-based Islamic fundamentalist group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh
Marco Rubio reaches out to real centre of Pakistan power, talks to army chief
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has finally reached out to the real centre of Pakistan's power, Army Chief Asim Munir, after talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to de-escalate tensions with India failed.
Responded in measured fashion to continued Pakistani provocations: India
Addressing the press conference on 'Operation Sindoor', Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, along with Indian Army Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Indian Air Force Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, briefed the nation about the current situation along the India-Pakistan border.
Multiple enemy-armed drones in Amritsar destroyed: Indian Army
Multiple enemy-armed drones were spotted flying over Khasa Cantonment in Amritsar in Punjab and they were instantly engaged and destroyed by air defence units, the Indian Army said on Saturday.
Indian armed forces destroy Pakistani posts, launch pads; intercept multiple Pakistani drones
In yet another befitting reply to Pakistan's nefarious activities, the Border Security Force (BSF) has completely destroyed a Pakistani post and a terrorist launch pad in Looni, District Sialkot, opposite Akhnoor area, from where the tube drones were being launched to attack India.