NGOs call for donors to engage with Afghanistan’s Taliban government

Ten international NGOs have issued a joint statement calling on donor countries to increase their diplomatic engagement with the Taliban’s Islamic Emirate government in Afghanistan. The statement was released ahead of the third anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power in Kabul on 15 August 2021.

The signatories of the statement include Save the Children, the Norwegian Refugee Council, the Danish Refugee Council, the International Rescue Committee, and a half-dozen other organisations.

Ellie Ward, a humanitarian policy officer at the Norwegian Refugee Council, told The New Humanitarian that greater diplomatic efforts by donors are needed for organisations to be able to address the significant humanitarian needs in Afghanistan with the limited resources at their disposal.

“We hope donors and the international community take a moment to reflect on the impact of some of their isolationist policies to date and recognise the need for clear strategies for principled diplomatic engagement to support aid efforts,” Ward said.

An estimated 23.7 million Afghans – over half the country’s population – are in need of humanitarian assistance following decades of conflict and economic struggles that have been compounded by the effects of natural disasters and climate change in recent years.

“The current isolationist approach of most donor countries does not support durable solutions to the challenges faced by the people of Afghanistan, especially children, women, ethnic and other marginalised groups,” the joint statement said.

The NGOs point out that the 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for the country has only been 25% funded, even though food insecurity “is rampant” and 6.3 million people remain displaced.

While dozens of countries have begun to increase diplomatic ties or interactions with the Islamic Emirate, Western countries – traditionally the major donors in the humanitarian system – have been reluctant to do so. Some have drawn a line at funding much-needed development projects, citing the difficulties of working with a government that is still on international sanctions and terrorist lists.

Ward said an approach that incorporates aid assistance, development funding, and peacebuilding efforts is needed to sustainably address humanitarian needs.

For more on how countries are approaching diplomatic engagement with Afghanistan, and what is at stake, read: