A Christian charity is urging the future Prime Minister to take further action in Afghanistan after a “drift and delay.”
According to Christian Aid, one year after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, the country faces the potential of a humanitarian disaster.
The new UK Prime Minister is set to be revealed next month; currently, it stands between former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak and foreign secretary Liz Truss.
To mark the first anniversary since former government was overthrown, the charity has been interviewing women living in Afghanistan, to see how life has changed.
Bibi, a 39-year-old widowed mother used to support her family by selling dairy products from her cow but had to sell it to pay debts after her husband was shot dead by the Taliban.
“I dream of having a safe living room for all of us. I will face all difficulties but I hope my children will have a brighter future and become educated. For myself, I would like to learn a new vocation so that I can work.”
Pari has four daughters but the eldest can’t go to school after they were closed by the Taliban. Her husband was killed on his way home during a clash between Taliban and government forces.
“I take care of my deaf and blind mother so my biggest dream is the welfare of my children. I want them to have decent lives, eat enough food and never face my fate.”
Fionna Smyth, Head of Global Advocacy and Policy, said: "We have no illusions about the Taliban rulers but the Afghan people cannot be abandoned to their fate. They did not vote for the Taliban and, even if the Taliban control the country, that must not stop us trying to help people make a living and giving them hope for a future free form hunger.
“Christian Aid is already delivering programmes to provide livelihoods and water and sanitation but no NGO can do the job of the Government. Conditions are becoming even more desperate with the price of food and fuel rising due the impact of the war in Ukraine. Those needs are going to grow as summer ends and we approach winter.
“That is why the UK government, alongside its internaitoal allies, need to do far more to support the econimy to get back on its feed and advocate for the rights of women and girles who are being erased from public life."
The charity is urging the next Prime Minister to reverse the cuts in last year’s aid budget back to 0.7 per cent of GDP so there is more funding to go around.