Jan Egeland Calls for Return of Diplomats and More Aid to Afghanistan
Jan Egeland, secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, has said that addressing Afghanistan’s humanitarian situation is impossible without the resumption of direct engagement between the international community and Afghan officials, along with increased investment and aid.
In a special interview with TOLOnews, he urged countries to send their diplomats back to Afghanistan and resume direct contact with Afghan officials. He said he himself had spoken with Afghan officials in Kabul and Kandahar about migrants, displaced people and girls’ education.
In another part of his remarks, Egeland described the return of nearly six million Afghans from Iran and Pakistan over the past three years as one of the largest return movements in the world. He said these returnees need more attention and assistance, stressing that returns must be voluntary, prepared and safe.
The secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council also voiced concern over the sharp decline in international aid to Afghanistan. He said humanitarian assistance, which reached nearly $3.5 billion in 2022 and 2023, could fall to around $500 million this year.
According to him, the United States, which until 2024 was Afghanistan’s largest donor, has now halted its aid, and European countries have also reduced their support. Egeland said this situation has created a major gap, although in his view part of that gap may be filled by domestic resources.
He also said the Norwegian Refugee Council continues its operations in Afghanistan despite reduced financial resources. According to Egeland, the organisation’s staff in Afghanistan has been cut from nearly 800 to 350, but the number of people benefiting from its services has not declined.
The Norwegian Refugee Council is one of the international aid agencies active in Afghanistan, working in the areas of asylum, displacement and humanitarian assistance. In recent years, Afghanistan has faced growing pressure on humanitarian services amid the large-scale return of migrants and declining foreign aid.
