UN Press Conference: High-level Ministerial Meeting on Humanitarian Situation in Afghanistan
/
33:38
/
MP4
/
2.3 GB

Edited News , Press Conferences | OCHA , UNOG , UNITED NATIONS , WEF

UN Press Conference: High-level Ministerial Meeting on Humanitarian Situation in Afghanistan

STORYLINE

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday hailed significant international financial support and solidarity with the people of Afghanistan at a flash appeal in Geneva, in which he appealed for a “lifeline” for the country’s most vulnerable people.

“Today, we have already heard clearly more than $1 billion in pledges…It represents a quantum leap in relation to the financial commitment of the international community towards the Afghan people,” said Mr. Guterres.

In an encounter with journalists on the sidelines of the high-level ministerial meeting in Geneva, Mr. Guterres noted that the fact that nearly 100 Member States had taken part - in addition to more than 30 regional and international organisations – underscored that the crisis in Afghanistan remained a crucial issue for the global community.

The UN top official also reiterated the importance of ensuring that assistance did not come at the expense of hard-won gains for women and minorities in Afghanistan in the last 20 years.

“We are of course very much concerned in making sure that humanitarian assistance is an entry point for effective engagement with the Taliban in all other aspects of concern of the international community,” he said, after appealing for $606 million to get urgent assistance to 11 million people for the next four months.

While immediate concerns have focused on the provision of emergency aid to avert a major humanitarian crisis in the country, Mr. Guterres warned that such assistance “will not solve the problem if the economy of Afghanistan collapses. And we know that the risk is enormous, and that there is a dramatic lack of cash.”

Pressed on the nature of the written assurances that the Taliban delivered in a letter to the UN over the weekend concerning aid assistance, the UN Secretary-General explained that there were in fact “two documents; one was guaranteeing full humanitarian work of the UN and the respect by the Taliban to that full humanitarian work; and the second, that they are able to provide security and even escorts when there are situations of insecurity that would justify it. So not only there is an attitude of acceptance but there is an attitude of support.”

It was also important to underline that the Taliban communiqué also appealed for international support for development, to combat the drug trade and security.

“There is a clear interest of the Taliban also to engage with the international community and I think this is what gives also the international community some leverage.”

Ends

STORY: Humanitarian Situation in Afghanistan – Secretary-General’s Press Conference

TRT: 2’09”
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9

DATELINE: 13 Sept 2021, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

SHOTLIST

  1. Exterior wide shot, United Nations flag flying.
  2. Wide shot, conference room, journalists and TV cameras, UN Geneva.
  3. SOUNDBITE (English): UN Secretary-General António Guterres: “Today, we have already heard clearly more than $1 billion in pledges. It is impossible as I have said to say how much of this will be for the flash appeal, but in any case it represents a quantum leap in relation to the financial commitment of the international community towards the Afghan people.”
  4. Medium shot, journalists taking notes, masked.
  5. SOUNDBITE (English): UN Secretary-General António Guterres: “We are of course very much concerned in making sure that humanitarian assistance is an entry point for effective engagement with the Taliban in all other aspects of concern of the international community.”
  6. Medium shot, photographer and journalists with video cameras.
  7. SOUNDBITE (English): UN Secretary-General António Guterres: “Humanitarian aid will not solve the problem if the economy of Afghanistan collapses. And we know that the risk is enormous, and that there is a dramatic lack of cash.”
  8. Medium shot, journalist taking notes, masked and wearing headphones.
  9. SOUNDBITE (English): UN Secretary-General António Guterres: “The letter that we received: two documents; one was guaranteeing full humanitarian work of the UN and the respect by the Taliban to that full humanitarian work; and the second, that they are able to provide security and even escorts when there are situations of insecurity that would justify it. So not only there is an attitude of acceptance but there is an attitude of support.”
  10. Wide shot, journalists, podium to rear.
  11. Wide shot, photographer resting on knees, podium to rear.
  12. Medium shot, journalists conferring.
  13. Medium shot, journalists sitting one behind the other.
  14. Medium shot, flag alley.
  15. Wide shot, flag alley.
  16. Close, flag alley.

Similar Stories

Gaza - Israel war 7 October 2025 - OCHA - UNICEF - WHO

1

1

1

Edited News | OCHA , UNICEF , WHO

Gaza - Israel war 7 October 2025 - OCHA - UNICEF - WHO ENG FRA

Two years of Gaza-Israel war bring ‘indescribable’ pain: UN humanitarians

Two years since the Hamas-led terror attacks on Israel, UN humanitarians on Tuesday reiterated calls for the release of all hostages in Gaza, an immediate ceasefire and an aid surge to alleviate Palestinians’ suffering, as talks on a US-driven peace plan continued in Egypt.

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 07 October 2025

1

1

1

Press Conferences | OCHA , UNHCR , UNICEF , UNOG , WHO , IPU

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 07 October 2025 ENG FRA

Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by the representatives and spokespersons of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, UNICEF, the World Health Organisation, and the International Parliamentary Union.

Justice for Syria's disappeared - Riyad Avlar – 06 October 2025

1

1

1

Edited News

Justice for Syria's disappeared - Riyad Avlar – 06 October 2025 ENG FRA

Syria prison survivor seeks justice for the missing with UN backing.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk at Human Rights Council on Ukraine: “This war needs to end”

1

Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk at Human Rights Council on Ukraine: “This war needs to end” ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Friday warned that three and a half years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, the war in Ukraine has entered an even more dangerous and deadly stage for Ukrainian civilians, under relentless bombardment of their schools, hospitals, and shelters.

30 minutes in a Gaza hospital - UNICEF - WHO - ICRC

1

1

1

Edited News | UNICEF , WHO , ICRC

30 minutes in a Gaza hospital - UNICEF - WHO - ICRC ENG FRA

Quadcopter victims, terror and death: 30 minutes in a Gaza hospital 

UN aid teams on Friday highlighted the disturbing situation in Gaza’s makeshift hospitals, where premature babies cry for scant oxygen and medics attempt to save child survivors targeted by airstrikes in their tents and quadcopter victims reportedly shot while fetching bread.

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 03 October 2025

1

1

1

Press Conferences | UNHCR , UNICEF , UNIS , WHO

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 03 October 2025 ENG FRA

Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by the spokespersons and representatives of the United Nations Children’s Fund, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Refugee Agency, and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

HRC 60 Press conference: Human Rights situation in the Central African Republic - 02 October 2025

1

1

1

Press Conferences | HRC , OHCHR

HRC 60 Press conference: Human Rights situation in the Central African Republic - 02 October 2025 ENG FRA

Report of the Independent Expert on Human Rights situation in the Central African Republic.

 

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk’s Oral update to the Human Rights Council on the situation in Haiti

2

1

2

Edited News | OHCHR

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk’s Oral update to the Human Rights Council on the situation in Haiti ENG FRA

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Thursday delivered his oral update to the UN Human Rights Council’s 60th session on the human rights situation in Haiti.

The High Commissioner welcomed Wednesday’s decision of the UN Security Council to strengthen the Multinational Security Support mission by transitioning to the Gang Suppression Force for Haiti, stating it is a strong signal of international support for the Haitian people.

Gaza aid update - UNICEF, OCHA 30 September 2025

1

1

1

Edited News | OCHA , UNICEF

Gaza aid update - UNICEF, OCHA 30 September 2025 ENG FRA

Gaza: As world waits for US peace plan news, UN aid teams stress need for ceasefire

UN agencies reiterated calls for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza on Tuesday to help alleviate Palestinian suffering, as a new US 20-point plan raised hopes of a halt to the fighting.

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 30 September 2025

1

1

1

Press Conferences | UNECE , WHO , OCHA , UNHCR , UNICEF

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 30 September 2025 ENG FRA

Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by the representatives and spokespersons of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (the UN Refugee Agency), the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the United Nations Children Fund, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and the World Health Organization.

Gaza healthcare attacks – WHO

1

1

1

Edited News | WHO

Gaza healthcare attacks – WHO ENG FRA

The ongoing Israeli military offensive in Gaza City continues to overwhelm the war-torn enclave’s medical professionals, with four more hospitals forced to shut down this month alone, the UN World Health Organization said on Friday.

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 26 September 2025

1

1

1

Press Conferences | WHO , FAO

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 26 September 2025 ENG FRA

Michele Zaccheo, Chief of the Radio, TV and Webcast Section at the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by spokespersons and representatives of the Food and Agricultural Organization and the World Health Organization.