Donors pledge $1bn in aid for Afghanistan as UN warns of ‘perilous’ situation

Donors pledged more than $1bn to help Afghanistan at a conference in Geneva on Monday. Foreign aid has dwindled and poverty and hunger have risen since the Taliban gained control of the country in August.

UN secretary general Antonio Guterres told the conference that after decades of war and suffering, Afghans are facing “perhaps their most perilous hour”. Many could run out of food by the end of this month, he said.

Guterres, who had appealed for $606m, was “pleased” with the international community’s response, but warned the prospect of an economic collapse was a “serious” possibility.