Final day of 2020 Afghanistan Conference, co-hosted by the governments of Afghanistan and Finland along with the UN.

The so-called pledging conference will decide how much financial assistance Afghanistan will need between 2021-24 in order to help it move towards peace, prosperity, and self-reliance.

It takes place at a crucial time, with the surge in violence and the pandemic exacerbating its already precarious humanitarian situation.

The ICRC, in a statement issued to coincide with the donors’ conference, said ensuring the protection of people affected by the decades-old conflict and addressing deep-rooted humanitarian needs was an essential precursor to peace, prosperity, and self-reliance.

The number of deadly attacks against civilians and medics was ‘nothing short of shocking’, it said.