KABUL (TOLOnews): The European Union delegation in Afghanistan said that Afghanistan is the 4th most at-risk country from humanitarian crises and disasters.
The EU Delegation hosted a discussion on climate change in Afghanistan, the EU Delegation to Afghanistan said in a statement, adding that the meeting was chaired by Raffaella Iodice, Chargée d’Affaires a.i. to Afghanistan, and Melinda Good, World Bank Country Director Afghanistan, with EU Special Envoy to Afghanistan Tomas Niklasson attending.
“Looking ahead, the consequences of climate change have the potential to unleash a level of destruction on Afghan society that is comparable to the devastation wrought by the decades of war. With several severe droughts over the last decade alone, the impact of climate change is already having a disastrous impact on the lives of the Afghan people. Therefore I feel there is an urgency for everybody to take these signs seriously and to take action,” Iodice said.
Niklasson said “our discussion today is meant to re-start a conversation on climate change in Afghanistan. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of Afghan people and forge a more sustainable, resilient, and prosperous future for all.”
The EU delegation also on Twitter said that “climate change affects us all, but Afghanistan is one of the world’s most vulnerable nations to its impacts, ranked 176th out of 181 countries.”
The Afghanistan Chamber of Agriculture and Livestock said that in recent years drought and floods have inflicted heavy damage on the farmers.
“Afghanistan is an agricultural land. Every year our farmers have damage from climate change and floods. We propose to the Agriculture Ministry to provide treatments to protect crops,” said Mirwais Hajizada, deputy of ACAL.Economists said that there is an need for investment to eliminate the humanitarian crisis and cope with economic challenges.
“If the work is being implemented on standardization and marketing for agriculture products, it will undoubtedly create jobs,” said Abdul Naseer Rishtia, an economist.
This comes as the Ministry of Economy said that efforts are underway to alleviate the existing challenges in the country through investment.
“Our economic policy is mainly focusing on the projects that can create jobs,” said Abdul Latif Nazari, deputy Minister of Economy.
Many humanitarian organizations voiced concerns about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) recently said that they are committed to stay in Afghanistan and deliver aid.