Toronto, 13 September – Save the Children is ‘encouraged’ by support shown by ministers at today’s UN High-Level meeting on Afghanistan, held in Geneva, but said sustained commitment was needed to save lives.
In response to the commitments made at the meeting, Danny Glenwright, President and CEO of Save the Children said:
“It is encouraging to see the international community showing their support for the people of Afghanistan today. The worsening crisis in Afghanistan requires urgent action to save lives, and the collective commitments made today are a positive step in the right direction.
“However, so much more still needs to be done. Afghanistan already has one of the highest child mortality rates in the world, and more than half of the children in the country are dependent on aid to survive. The bottom line is that sustained commitment to the children of Afghanistan is what is needed. Today cannot be a one off. Donor governments must continue to step up their financial support or children’s lives will be lost and future generations will continue to bear the cost of this crisis.”
At the conference, Canada committed $50 million toward the humanitarian response, a pledge previously announced on August 26, 2021. We’re pleased to see the support from Canada and hope to see additional commitments as the needs continue to escalate.
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