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A30 world news
Diabierna 1 aPriL 2022

UN seeks record $4.4B for Afghans struggling under Taliban

malnourished children “are commitment and loyalty,” been taken off the air.
on the verge of death without said Martin Griffiths, who
immediate action.” heads the U.N. Office for the A surprising last-minute ban
Coordination of Humanitar- on girls returning to school
“Without immediate action ian Affairs, ahead of Thurs- after the sixth grade shocked
we face a starvation and mal- day’s pledge drive. “In simple the international commu-
nutrition crisis in Afghani- terms, the humanitarian pro- nity and many Afghans. In
stan,” he said. “People are gram that we are appealing schools across the country,
already selling their children for is to save lives.” girls returned to classrooms
and their body parts in order on March 23 — the first day
to feed their families.” The appeal for funds is three of the new Afghan school
times what the agency sought year — only to be sent home.
British Foreign Secretary Liz for Afghanistan a year earlier,
Truss said Britain will re- a request that was exceeded “It broke my -- I guess it
new this year its 286 million once donors saw the needs broke everybody’s heart -- to
pounds ($380 million) of that would have to be met af- see the images of these girls
support from 2021. Foreign ter the Taliban takeover. crying in front of their closed
(AP) — The United Na- when much of the world’s at- Minister Annalena Baerbock schools,” Baerbock said. “We
tions chief said Thursday tention is on Russia’s war in of Germany said her coun- “I have no doubt that we will urgently call upon the Tal-
that nearly all Afghans Ukraine, and some wealthy try had stepped up with 200 not achieve the target of $4.4 iban to grant equal access to
don’t have enough to eat nations have tried to squeeze million euros ($220 million). billion tomorrow in pledg- education everywhere in the
and some have resorted to the Taliban. Qatar said it had contributed es, but we will work on it,” country.”
“selling their children and $50 million in recent months, Griffiths said.
their body parts” to get He called on the world to and pledged another $25 mil- “The plight of girls is a dark
money for food. “spare” Afghans who have lion for 2022. Since a leadership meeting in illustration of the suffering
had their rights stripped — the southern city of Kandahar of the Afghan people,” she
Secretary-General Antonio like many women and girls Afghanistan is buckling be- in early March, Taliban hard- added.
Guterres’ statement was part — after the ouster of the in- neath a debilitating humani- liners have issued repressive
of a dramatic appeal Thurs- ternationally-backed govern- tarian crisis and an economy edicts almost daily, harken- Many donor countries are
day from the world body and ment last summer, prompt- in free fall. Some 23 million ing to their harsh rule of the seeking to help beleaguered
several rich countries that ing some rich countries to people face acute food inse- late 1990s, further alienating Afghans while largely shun-
want to help beleaguered Af- freeze nearly $9 billion in curity, the U.N. says. a wary international com- ning the Taliban — but the
ghans whose fate has wors- Afghan assets overseas so the munity and infuriating many aid agency suggested that po-
ened since the Taliban re- Taliban can’t access them. Aside from the freeze on Afghans. litical and economic engage-
turned to power last year. funds, the situation for Af- ment from abroad should re-
“Wealthy, powerful coun- ghans has grown worse amid The edicts include a ban on turn one day, too.
Guterres kicked off a virtual tries cannot ignore the con- the worst drought in years, women flying alone; a ban on
pledging conference led by sequences of their decisions and skyrocketing prices for women in parks on certain “It’s very important for the
the U.N.’s aid coordination on the most vulnerable,” food caused by fallout from days; a requirement that male international community to
office and backed by Britain, Guterres said. “Some 95% of Russia’s war in Ukraine, a workers wear a beard and the engage with the Taliban over
Germany and Qatar, seeking people do not have enough to key European breadbasket traditional turban. Interna- time on issues beyond the
to make inroads on its big- eat, and nine million people tional media broadcasts like humanitarian,” said Griffiths.
gest-ever appeal for funds for are at risk of famine,” he add- “Ukraine is of vital impor- the BBC’s Persian and Pash- “The humanitarian assistance
a single country: $4.4 billion. ed, citing UNICEF estimates tance, but Afghanistan, you to services have been banned is no replacement for other
It is a decidedly ambitious call that over a million severely know, calls to our soul for and foreign TV series have forms of engagement.”

Israel raids West Bank, 2 Palestinians killed in gunbattle

(AP) — Israeli forces raided a that have left a total of 11 people dead. are operating all means and on all Palestinians, including civilians, were
refugee camp in the occupied fronts to restore security and a feeling killed, according to the U.N.
West Bank on Thursday, setting The Palestinian Health Ministry said of safety to the people of Israel.”
off a gunbattle in which two Pal- 17-year-old Sanad Abu Atiyeh and The Palestinian Authority, which ad-
estinians were killed and 15 were 23-year-old Yazid al-Saadi were killed The Jenin refugee camp was the ministers parts of the occupied West
wounded, as Israel targeted what on Thursday. It said 30-year-old Ni- scene of one of the deadliest battles Bank and coordinates with Israel on
it said were militant networks af- dal Jaafara was shot and killed near of the second Palestinian intifada, or security matters, appears to have had
ter a series of deadly attacks. the West Bank town of Bethlehem, uprising. In April 2002, Israeli forces little control over Jenin in recent
apparently referring to the stabbing fought Palestinian militants in the years. Israeli forces operating in and
In a separate incident, a Palestinian incident. camp for nearly three weeks. Twenty- around the city and refugee camp of-
stabbed a 28-year-old Israeli man on three Israeli soldiers and at least 52 ten come under fire.
a bus in the West Bank before being The Israeli military said troops came
killed by a bystander, the military under fire after entering Jenin to ar-
said. The Magen David Adom emer- rest three suspects linked to Tues-
gency service said the stabbing victim day’s attack. It said one soldier was
was treated and taken to a hospital. wounded and evacuated to a hospital
for treatment. The army said it has ar-
Videos circulated online showing rested a total of 31 suspects in recent
smoke rising from the center of the West Bank raids aimed at preventing
Jenin refugee camp as gunfire echoed more attacks.
in the background. Others appeared
to show Israeli soldiers and Palestin- Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s of-
ian gunmen moving through the nar- fice later Thursday announced it was
row streets. spending about $56 million in emer-
gency funding for more police offi-
The raid came two days after a Pales- cers and equipment.
tinian from a village near Jenin shot
and killed five people in central Israel, “A strong police equals a strong Isra-
part of a wave of attacks in recent days el,” Bennett said in a statement. “We