UN to urge donors to provide USD 8 billion aid for Afghanistan, says Lyons

Kabul [Afghanistan], January 20 (ANI): The UN top envoy in Afghanistan, Deborah Lyons on Wednesday said that the organization is working on a proposal to urge donors to provide eight billion dollars in aid for Afghanistan.
The move comes after achievements of the past two decades have been violated. Lyons said that over half of the country's population is living under the poverty line and the UN is attempting to remove existing sanctions on Afghanistan, reported Tolo News.
Lyons at a gathering at the Arg (the presidential palace) in Kabul said that the transfer of cash to Afghanistan would continue until the banking system is revived in the country.
"We secured the permission to import cash to address the crippling lack of liquidity, assisted by your administration in doing so. We imported in December, last month of last year, over 120 million dollars and this month another 32 million," said the UN Secretary General's Special Representative for Afghanistan.
The Arg was the venue for the first international conference about economic conditions since the fall of the former government where representatives of 20 countries attended the summit, some via videoconference, reported Tolo News.
Addressing the summit, the Taliban's acting Prime Minister Mullah Hassan Akhund said that short term aid is not enough to tackle the crisis, and he called for the removal of obstacles in the way of economic recovery.
"A mutual path should be formed to meet the problems of people on time, and forever. The short term aid is not sufficiently beneficial for the nation," he said.
The Islamic Emirate's cabinet members praised the UN support for Afghanistan.
The Second Deputy of the Prime Minister, Abdul Salam Hanafi, said that the Islamic Emirate would monitor the distribution of aid to vulnerable people, reported Tolo News. (ANI)