BEIJING, Dec 11 (APP): As an important close neighbor, Pakistan is playing a key role in alleviating the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. Pakistan not only does every effort to help address the sufferings of the 40 million Afghan people and offer its air and land routes for relevant countries and international organizations to carry out humanitarian assistance, but also urges the international community to help avert a looming humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. These views were expressed by Cheng Xizhong, visiting professor at Southwest University of Political Science and Law, special commentator of China Economic Net in an article issued here on Saturday. He said, internal clashes, severe drought and the social and economic impacts brought by COVID-19 are pushing the already grave situation in Afghanistan to a “disaster”. Nowadays, the Afghan people are in a dilemma of no basic goods and services, and the humanitarian crisis is spreading rapidly. About 18 million people, or nearly half of the population, need humanitarian assistance to survive. 14 million people are starving. It is expected that more than half of the children under the age of 5 will suffer from acute malnutrition in the coming year. Therefore, the international community should urgently provide help to Afghanistan at this emergency moment, provide timely, flexible and sufficient funds for humanitarian assistance, and ensure the access and safety of humanitarian workers in Afghanistan. Prof. Cheng Xizhong said that on December 6, China announced another RMB 30 million of emergency food aid to Afghanistan on the basis of RMB 200 million of material assistance announced earlier to help the Afghan people cope with the harsh winter. Pakistan is to host an extraordinary meeting of the OIC Council of Foreign Minister in Islamabad on December 19, to deliberate on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and find a way out to address the sufferings of the Afghan people. He concluded that easing the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and helping promote the country’s stability are vital to curbing the threat of terrorism and maintaining regional and international peace. Therefore, the international community should work together to help the Afghan people tide over the difficulties and move towards stability and development.