Naseer Ahmad Andisha, Afghanistan's Ambassador and Permanent Representative in Geneva, has called for a thorough review of the expenses and budget of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). He stressed that any budget cuts should not lead to the downsizing of the mission's critical human rights and women's support sections.
In a post on X on Thursday, October 15, Mr. Andisha noted that the UN Secretary-General is considering reducing UNAMA's budget and staff as part of the mission's one-year mandate review. He warned that such reductions should not come at the cost of weakening key parts of UNAMA's mission.
According to the Afghan diplomat, UNAMA has approximately 1,200 staff, nearly 400 of whom are international. He added that the annual salary and benefits for each international staff member amount to around $200,000, and a large portion of UNAMA's budget is spent on salaries, logistics, and security costs, which he argued should be reviewed for potential savings.
The ambassador insisted that cost-cutting measures should not result in eliminating local Afghan staff positions, as these employees play a crucial role in implementing UNAMA's activities and job losses would negatively impact their families.
He specifically emphasized the need to preserve and strengthen the human rights and women's support units. Andisha argued that given the dire human rights situation, especially for women under Taliban rule, shrinking these sections would be unacceptable.
Naseer Ahmad Andisha concluded by stating that a reduction in UNAMA's budget should not be interpreted as a diminished commitment from the international community to the people of Afghanistan. He urged the world to continue its support for Afghans, particularly during these difficult times.
Source: Naseer Ahmad Andisha's X page
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