"A humanitarian catastrophe is looming," Antonio Guterres announced in a statement.
The UN Secretary General warned Tuesday against the tragedies to come in Afghanistan, citing "the worsening of the humanitarian and economic crisis" and "the threat of a total collapse of basic services".
Antonio Guterres also urges UN member states "to provide adequate, flexible and comprehensive funding" for the Afghan people who are, according to him, "in their darkest hour" in terms of their basic needs.
Half of the population needs humanitarian assistance
"I urge them to help ensure that aid workers have the funding, access and legal guarantees they need to stay and deliver," he added in his statement.
The UN chief recalls that “nearly half of the Afghan population - 18 million people - needs humanitarian assistance to survive”.
“One in three Afghans does not know where their next meal will come from,” says Antonio Guterres, noting that more than half of children under the age of five will go hungry in the coming year.
"More than ever, the children, women and men of Afghanistan need the solidarity of the international community," he insisted.
Without citing the Taliban, the UN chief calls on "all parties to facilitate safe and unimpeded humanitarian access to vital and essential supplies, as well as to all aid workers - men and women".
Twenty years after being ousted from power by the United States, the Taliban once again controls most of the Afghan territory.
They celebrated their victory on Tuesday as a final US military flight left Kabul the night before.
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