U.N. seeks record $4.4 billion for Afghans struggling under Taliban
PBS NewsHourOct 14, 2021
UN Seeks Record $4.4B for Afghans Struggling Under Economic Collapse
Image copyright: Hector Retamal/AFP [via Al Jazeera]
The Facts
The UN asked for $4.4B in humanitarian aid for Afghanistan on Thurs., as immediate action is required to prevent a starvation and malnutrition crisis.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed to the wealthy nations of the world, saying that many Afghans had resorted to selling their children and their body parts to raise money for food.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
Instead of making Afghans beg for $4.4B in aid, the US should return the $9B they brazenly stole frrom its central bank. The US is starving the Afghan people to squeeze the Taliban for concessions. The brutal sanctions on Afghanistan are just another extension of the US empire's lust for global dominance and control.
Pro-establishment narrative
Though it may seem like removing sanctions would solve Afghanistan's current humanitarian crisis, it simply wouldn't. The US continues to be thoughtful with how it administers sanctions, and most of Afghanistan's issues stem from the Taliban's inability to to run an economy.