蜜芽传媒

The head of the Norwegian Refugee Council says the world has a clear and stark choice: intervene in Afghanistan now by sending in aid - or accept death for 'those left behind' this winter.

Leaders of the banking system have said the country is running out of money, after the US and other western countries withdrew the development funds which have propped up the country for the last twenty years.

Now Jan Egeland, who's in Kabul for talks with the new Taliban authorities, is calling for urgent action - saying he's had guarantees from the Taliban that his agency will be allowed to disperse the funds without interference. This includes working to provide education to girls.

He says there's no time to lose.

"It's a race against death now. So donors do not sit on the fence anymore. It's a very clear choice. We either act now or we accept that so many countries left and death followed."

(Photo: Internally displaced families in a temporary shelter in Kabul. Credit: EPA)