US Ambassador: UN Aid to Afghanistan Needs Evaluation

UNITED NATIONS — US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz stated on Monday, March 10, that UN assistance to Afghanistan requires serious evaluation.

Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting on Afghanistan, Waltz noted that a substantial budget has been allocated to the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). "Given the intransigence of the Taliban, we must carefully evaluate the effectiveness of aid and international engagement in Afghanistan," he said. Waltz added that female UNAMA staff in Afghanistan cannot access the organization's offices.

Afghanistan faces one of the world's most critical humanitarian situations. According to the World Food Program, more than 17 million people — one-third of the population — suffer from severe food shortages, with 4.7 million at emergency hunger levels.

Georgette Gagnon, acting head of UNAMA, told the meeting that Afghanistan has urgent humanitarian needs and the crisis has worsened due to funding reductions. Aid organizations plan to assist 17.5 million people in 2026 and have requested $1.71 billion, but only 10% of the funding has been secured so far.