MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th August, 2021) The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Thursday made an urgent appeal to donors for $24 million that will enable it to ramp up its operation in Afghanistan where thousands of people have been internally displaced in the last two months.
"There are some 5.5 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Afghanistan, including more than 550,000 newly displaced in 2021, almost half of whom fled their homes since July," IOM said in a release
IOM said the requested money would help the organization provide shelter and non-food aid, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), health, protection, multi-sectoral humanitarian assistance in border areas, emergency livelihoods, and social cohesion in Afghanistan.
"Inadequate shelter and insufficient access to sanitation and health facilities have resulted in extremely precarious living conditions for affected families,"� IOM Chief of Mission in Afghanistan Stuart Simpson said.
The agency stated that conflict and drought coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic have triggered increased displacement, poverty, and food insecurity in Afghanistan, which requires humanitarian attention in the country.
IOM also clarified that the requested money is different from the $1.3 billion required by all partners under the ongoing Afghanistan Humanitarian Response Plan.
Half of Afghanistan's 40 million people, including 10 million children, were in need of humanitarian aid since the beginning of 2021, with the number likely to rise, the agency said.
