"Afghans Need A Lifeline": UN Chief Urges Donors For Aid

Antonio Guterres announced UN would release $20 million from Central Emergency Response Fund to support the humanitarian operation in Afghanistan. But he stressed that more money is needed -- and quickly.

UN chief Antonio Guterres on Monday urged countries to dig deep and provide desperately needed aid to Afghans, and to support women and others whose rights appear threatened by the Taliban. Speaking to ministers gathered for a donor conference for the violence-torn country, Guterres insisted that "the people of Afghanistan need a lifeline". "After decades of war, suffering and insecurity, they face perhaps their most perilous hour," he said at the UN's European headquarters in Geneva. "Let us be clear: This conference is not simply about what we will give to the people of Afghanistan. It is about what we owe."