The World Food Programme in Afghanistan has announced that due to budget constraints and financial crises, it may only be able to distribute food to one million people until October 2024.

The organization stressed that currently, 12 million people in Afghanistan require assistance to survive.

On Wednesday, June 26th, this UN-affiliated agency stated an urgent need for immediate assistance to aid the people.

The World Food Programme has highlighted that over 90% of Afghans lack enough food. They warned that hunger leads to families’ collapse, forcing some to sell their household belongings to survive.

The dire humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has been exacerbated by the forced deportation of Afghan refugees from neighboring countries.

Pakistan and Iran, two significant host countries for Afghan refugees, have increased efforts to repatriate them amid regional security concerns and strained resources. This has resulted in a humanitarian crisis as many Afghan refugees face uncertain futures and inadequate support upon returning to Afghanistan.

The forced returns have put immense pressure on Afghanistan’s already fragile infrastructure and limited capacity to provide essential services to returnees. With the ongoing conflict and economic instability, the situation is dire for both internally displaced persons and returning refugees who lack access to basic necessities such as food, shelter, and healthcare.

The international community has been urged to step up humanitarian aid and support mechanisms to alleviate the suffering of Afghan civilians, ensuring that adequate resources are available to address the immediate needs and long-term challenges facing the country.

Participants of the fourth Vienna conference criticized the announcement made today, June 26th, regarding the upcoming Doha conference and urged the United Nations to handle this matter responsibly.

They criticized the upcoming third Doha conference, scheduled for June 30th to July 1st, labeling it as a unilateral meeting organized according to the Taliban’s representatives.

Furthermore, the agenda of the third Doha conference indicates that the United Nations has departed from its primary mission in this conference, and the organization should not engage in talks with the Taliban as representatives of the people of Afghanistan.

Anarkali Honaryar, a former member of the Afghan Senate, addressed the Doha conference in her speech at the Vienna meeting today, stating, “The United Nations has organized this conference, and it must include women, civil society, political forces, and the people of Afghanistan, including the Taliban, in every session, as dialogue, in my opinion, is the only solution for Afghanistan.”

Ahmad Massoud, leader of the anti-Taliban group known as the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, also emphasized in the concluding speech of the conference that the purpose of holding such meetings is to strive to map out a way out of Afghanistan’s crises.

He stated that Afghanistan is no longer a priority on the world stage, and it is time for Afghans themselves to make final efforts to pull their country out of the crisis.

During discussions in the past day’s fourth Vienna conference, two major views were debated. Some participants stressed the final efforts to resume intra-Afghan talks and negotiations as the sole solution, while others, alongside negotiations, also pressed for military options.

However, Mohammad Moheqiq, one of the former jihadist leaders, said in his speech today at this meeting, “It is time for them {Taliban} not to listen to the truth and peace talk; we have been waiting for three years for them to listen to the world and countries for peace, but they did not.”

The United Nations and the Taliban government have yet to comment on the statements of the participants of the fourth Vienna conference. But before that, Zakir Jalali, head of the third branch of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Taliban government, implicitly referred to the fourth Vienna conference and called its participants a “wandering assembly.”

So far, three rounds of these conferences have been held in Vienna, with the presence of some politicians from the former republican system and some activists from the capital of Austria.

The first Vienna conference was held in September 2022, the second in April 2023, and the third in December 2023.

Amidst a dire humanitarian and human rights crisis in Afghanistan, the Vienna Conference concluded with participants urging the United Nations to act responsibly towards the country’s ongoing challenges.

They emphasized the urgent need for international cooperation and support to address the worsening situation, including severe restrictions on women’s rights and escalating security concerns.

The participants highlighted the critical importance of humanitarian aid and protection of human rights in Afghanistan, calling for immediate action to alleviate suffering and uphold fundamental freedoms amidst the escalating crisis.

German media reports that since the start of the program to accept at-risk Afghans into Germany, 530 individuals have been transferred to the country.

According to reports, the number of Afghan admissions through this program has been limited due to security checks, which began in August 2022.

German media, quoting a spokesperson for the Interior Ministry, wrote that Germany intends to transfer one thousand at-risk Afghans to the country monthly through this acceptance program.

These reports indicate that the program was launched in August 2021, with only 13 Afghan entries recorded in the Interior Ministry since August last year.

The at-risk Afghan acceptance program includes individuals vulnerable to Taliban persecution, torture, or harassment or those endangered due to their previous work in critical areas such as justice, education, or politics.

The discussion around accepting at-risk Afghans into Germany comes amid concerns over the increasing presence of Afghan migrants accused of crimes in the country.

Recently, Nancy Faeser, Germany’s Interior Minister, stated, “We are working hard to ensure that we can once again deport dangerous Islamists and violent criminals to Afghanistan.”

Amid heightened concerns over national security, Germany has intensified efforts to deport criminal refugees, including Afghans, back to Afghanistan. This initiative comes in response to increased incidents of attacks involving knives, prompting authorities to prioritize national safety.

The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan has exacerbated the challenges faced by Afghan migrants in Germany. As the Taliban regime tightens its grip on power, reports of persecution and worsening conditions for civilians have raised alarm globally.

A UN spokesperson said on Sunday that the aim of the Doha meetings is to “encourage the Taliban to engage with the world in a coordinated and orderly manner for the benefit of the Afghan people.”

Stéphane Dujarric, the UN spokesperson, said on Sunday, June 23, that human rights, especially women’s rights, “will be highlighted in all discussions at the Doha meeting.”

Dujarric emphasized that the Doha meetings are “part of a process and not a one-time event” and that women and Afghan civil society will continue to be part of this process.

The Taliban will send their representatives to Qatar next week for a two-day meeting in Doha, which will include senior UN officials and special representatives from 25 countries for Afghanistan.

This is the third UN-led meeting and the first to include Taliban officials, but the exclusion of women and civil society representatives from the main meeting has sparked widespread criticism.

Tirana Hassan, executive director of Human Rights Watch, told Reuters that “excluding women [from the Doha meeting] risks legitimizing the Taliban and causing irreparable harm to the UN’s credibility as a defender of women’s rights and meaningful participation.”

Agnes Callamard, Secretary-General of Amnesty International, stated that “marginalizing important discussions on human rights is unacceptable and sets a very damaging precedent” regarding the third Doha meeting.

Rosemary DiCarlo, the UN’s political affairs chief, and Rosa Otunbayeva, the UN special envoy to Afghanistan, are expected to meet separately with Afghan civil society groups after they meet with the Taliban.

Meanwhile, Otunbayeva stated that the Doha meeting will focus on the private sector and combating drug trafficking. She also mentioned that the upcoming meeting “has created significant expectations that realistically cannot be met in a single session.”

Critics have pointed out that the UN, by excluding women’s representatives and discussions on women’s rights from the upcoming Doha meeting, is overlooking the dire human rights situation in Afghanistan.

The absence of women’s voices in the meeting undermines efforts to address the severe restrictions imposed on women by the Taliban, who have banned women from most aspects of public life, including employment and education.

According to reports, G7 countries, including the US and UK, oppose the composition and agenda of the third Doha meeting.

Special representatives from some countries, including the US, might not attend the meeting, reports said.

On Monday, June 24, reports indicate that G7 members are dissatisfied with the performance of UNAMA chief Rosa Otunbayeva in Afghanistan, afintl.com reported.

Western countries’ disagreements extend beyond the composition and agenda of the third Doha meeting; they also want a special representative for Afghanistan appointed quickly and have asked the UN to expedite this.

The Taliban oppose the appointment of a new representative for Afghanistan.

The world’s seven largest economies have asked the UN to include Afghan women and civil society members in the Doha meetings and have protested their exclusion from next week’s meeting.

Some diplomats said Canada and France hold a “tougher stance” than other countries.

Sources indicate that some countries, including the US, are “not optimistic” about Rosa Otunbayeva’s activities as the UNAMA chief, suspecting she may be “aligned with Russia.”

However, Western countries, including G7 members, believe that finding a solution to Afghanistan’s current crisis is impractical without a special representative.

Reports indicate that Western diplomats will not attend the third Doha meeting at a high level, similar to the second round. The UN had previously confirmed that Secretary-General António Guterres will not participate in the third Doha meeting.

meanwhile, António Guterres is “tired” of the Afghanistan issue. According to UN officials, the third Doha meeting will be chaired by Rosemary DiCarlo, the UN Deputy Secretary-General.

Previously, a US State Department spokesperson said that Thomas West and Rina Amiri, US special representatives, do not plan to attend the third Doha meeting.

Since the Taliban took power, the human rights situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated significantly. Restrictions on women’s education, employment, and freedom of movement have been severe.

The humanitarian crisis has worsened, with millions facing food insecurity and inadequate healthcare. The international community continues to express concern over the lack of fundamental rights and the dire living conditions in Afghanistan.