LONDON: The British government is being urged by charities to do more to help Afghans who are at risk of starvation in Afghanistan amid an economic collapse in the country.

Groups including Save the Children UK, International Rescue Committee, and Concern Worldwide have called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his government to provide more money to tackle the humanitarian crisis, the Metro reported on Tuesday.

They said that Afghans, some of whom they claimed had been forced to sell their children or their organs just to buy food, would die if no action was taken.

Many Afghans are facing crippling poverty during a harsh winter in Afghanistan, a country in the grip of economic chaos after the Taliban swept to power in August last year.

The charities wrote an open letter to Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, telling her that the “window to save lives is closing fast” and that “there isn’t a moment to lose.”

They also said that the £286 million ($386.3 million) of aid announced so far by the UK government for Afghanistan was not enough, highlighting how the figure equated to just £7.15 for each of the 40 million people at risk in Afghanistan.

“Five million Afghan children are on the brink of famine. Every day, more people are succumbing to illness and starvation,” the letter said. “With 98 percent of families not having enough to eat, some are resorting to desperate coping strategies – even selling their children.

“Our staff and partners on the ground report suffering on a scale that most of us cannot comprehend. The UN has launched its largest ever single country appeal – $4.4 billion – and needs wealthy countries like the UK to step up now.”

“The government must urgently provide additional humanitarian funding that reflects this level of desperate need, it should also use its diplomatic influence to bring other donor countries around the table to meet the UN’s call for life-saving funds.

“As well as supporting the emergency response, (Foreign Office) must also prioritize international efforts to ensure essential public services are restored and to keep the Afghan state and economy from collapsing.”

The Taliban retook control of Afghanistan after a blistering three-month offensive, which started in May 2021. 

According to UN estimates, 2.2 million Afghans have fled to neighboring countries and a further 3.5 million have been internally displaced since Jan. 2021.