An EU Humanitarian Air Bridge flight has delivered over 25 metric tons of life-saving medical cargo to Kabul on Saturday to address the dire humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, a European Commission press release said Sunday. The life-saving cargo consists of medical equipment, including COVID-19 and trauma care kits, provided by UNICEF, Save the Children, and the World Health Organization, it noted. This is the second EU-funded air bridge flight landing in Kabul this week. The first flight arrived on Wednesday, delivering over 32 metric tons of surgical equipment and medical supplies that are critical in ensuring the continued provision of primary and life-saving medical assistance in Afghanistan, it said. Due to the ongoing conflict and the recent drought, up to half of Afghanistan's population is dependent on humanitarian assistance. In response, this EU-funded air bridge flight enables humanitarian organizations to deliver critical health and nutrition items to those in need. Janez Lenarcic, EU Commissioner for Crisis Management said: "Over the past weeks, the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has further deteriorated at an alarming rate, with more than 18 million people in desperate need of humanitarian aid." "This EU funded Humanitarian Air Bridge flight allows the EU to deliver vital health and nutrition assistance despite the current transport and logistic constraints in the country," he added. Despite the challenges posed by the withdrawal of international troops and the Taliban takeover, the EU continues to provide life-saving assistance for the Afghan people in need, said the press release. EU humanitarian aid focuses on health care, nutritional support, cash and protection assistance, including areas not reached by government structures. In 2021, the EU has committed to make available over 300 million euro ($347 million) in humanitarian assistance for the Afghan people in need, in the country and the broader region. Meanwhile, Afghanistan is facing a breakdown of its economic and social systems that risks turning into a humanitarian catastrophe, the European Union's foreign policy chief said on Sunday. Avoiding the worst-case scenario would require the Taliban to comply with conditions that would enable more international assistance, Josep Borrell wrote in a blog post. ‟Afghanistan is experiencing a serious humanitarian crisis and a socio-economic collapse is looming, which would be dangerous for Afghans, the region and international security," Borrell wrote. Food prices in the country have jumped more than 50 percent since the Taliban took power in August as the freezing of $9 billion of Afghanistan's assets held in foreign central bank reserves and the withdrawal of foreign income stokes inflation. The Afghan banking system is largely paralyzed, with people unable to withdraw money, while the country's health system — which was heavily dependent on foreign aid — is close to collapse, according to Borrell. ‟If the situation continues and with winter approaching, this risks turning into a humanitarian catastrophe," he wrote, adding that this could trigger mass migration into neighboring states. The EU response to the crisis would depend on the behavior of the new Afghan authorities, Borrell said, and any resumption of relations would require compliance with conditions including human rights. ‟This requires above all that the Taliban take the steps that will enable the international community to assist the Afghan people," he said, adding that female staff from international agencies must be able to do their job. — Agencies
