Emergency experts call for urgent humanitarian aid in Afghanistan: UN

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Witnessing an enormity of human suffering during an Afghanistan visit, an international panel of emergency experts called for urgent, life-saving action, United Nations (UN) humanitarians said on Friday.

The group of eight senior representatives of UN agencies and non-governmental organizations issued their plea after spending five days in the war-torn country, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said.

"People's reserves are exhausted, forcing many into harmful coping mechanisms to survive, including child marriages and child labor," the office said.

"Women and girls are particularly affected with many of their rights under threat," the office said.

More than 24 million people, or 59 percent of the country's population, now require life-saving assistance, 30 percent more than in 2021, it said.