KABUL, 25 January 2022, (TON): Experts in Britain are calling on the UK government to press the international community to broaden the definition of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan to avert an irreversible humanitarian disaster.

In a letter sent to The Guardian newspaper, a group of experts, including former defense, national security and foreign policy chiefs, laid out five practical outcomes that the UK should encourage the international community to work toward.

The outcomes include meeting the UN’s appeal for humanitarian funding, preserving state delivery systems, resuming technical support to the country’s central bank to prevent economic collapse, reinstating the Afghan reconstruction trust fund and releasing some of the frozen Afghan foreign reserves so that salaries of essential workers can be paid and key social services maintained.

The letter said “but these measures are not enough to avert an irreversible humanitarian disaster.”

It added “we believe the UK government needs to act in accordance with two fundamental principles.”

Afghan lives should not be used for political leverage; and economic and state collapse in Afghanistan is not in our own national interest.

Afghanistan’s dire humanitarian situation has worsened following the Taliban takeover and withdrawal of the last remaining US troops. As a result, aid was suspended and many countries and international organizations froze the country’s assets.

The World Food Program said that it urgently needs $220 million per month this year as it ramps up operations to provide food and cash assistance to the more than 23 million Afghans facing severe hunger.