Taliban seize power in Afghanistan on August 15 (File)
United Nation:
The situation in Afghanistan remains precarious and uncertain nearly six months after the Taliban takeover, as many political, socioeconomic and humanitarian shocks fall, the United Nations Secretary-General said in a report. The country was ravaged by war.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in Thursday’s report on ‘The situation in Afghanistan and its impact on international peace and security’ said that the “best way” to promote stability and support future international aid is to prevent the Taliban from being isolated. its previous experience of power.
“Taliban is trying to present itself as a caring government. However, the movement has yet to form governance structures that reflect the country’s ethnic, political and geographical diversity and include women. Efforts are limited by a lack of resources and capacity, as well as an ideology that conflicts in many ways with international governance norms.
“The movement is also looking to manage its own internal cohesion. Because the Taliban failed to build the confidence of many Afghans or convince Afghans of its ability to rule, many continued to seek to leave their country. Going forward, it will be essential that every effort be made to reach out to all segments of Afghan society in order to establish a process that can lead to inclusive governance structures that fully reflect the wishes and interests of Afghan society are diverse,” it said.
Guterres in his report said that the situation in Afghanistan remains precarious and uncertain nearly six months after the Taliban takeover, as political, socioeconomic and humanitarian shocks reverberate across the country.
The Taliban took power in Afghanistan on August 15, two weeks before the full US withdrawal on August 31 after a costly two-decade war. This forced Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who was backed by the US-led West, to flee the country to the UAE.
Taliban soldiers swept through Afghanistan and captured all major cities within days, as the Afghan security forces trained and equipped by the US and its allies disintegrated.
The report adds that Afghanistan is experiencing a major economic downturn. Entirely complex economic and social systems are shutting down, in part due to deficiencies in governance, discontinuation of non-human aid flows, and sanctions.
“The best way to promote stability and international support in the future is for the Taliban to avoid the isolation that has characterized its previous experience in power. Thus, develop a constructive dialogue between de facto authorities, other Afghan stakeholders, the region and the international community with an emphasis on the well-being and rights of the Afghan people. . I positively acknowledge the steps taken to establish such a dialogue,” said Guterres.
He stressed that it is important that this dialogue addresses a range of governance-related issues – including fundamental human rights and freedoms – that will have a significant impact on prosperity and security. the security of its people and the future of Afghanistan, including its relationship with the international community.
“Respect and protection of the human rights, freedoms and well-being of the people of Afghanistan, regardless of gender, age or ethnicity, and their ability to participate fully and equally in all All aspects of the social, economic and political life of the country are essential elements of an inclusive, stable and prosperous society,” the report said.
Guterres expressed concern about the staggering scale of vulnerability across the war-torn country, with more than half of the population in need of life-saving assistance.
“At the same time, rifts in basic services, the financial system and civil service functions are exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation,” he said, adding that a staggering 23 million people surprisingly – 55% of the population – is in crisis and emergency. food insecurity, with about 9 million people forecast to be “urgent” – the highest number in the world.
People are running out of limited reserves and forced into harmful and irreversible coping mechanisms to survive – including sending their children into forced labor, forced marriage, and forced marriage. risky marriage and illegal migration, as well as land sales. Economic upheaval is taking place across the country as urban households experience evaporating income and bank savings, the UNSG report says.
Mr. Guterres stressed that without the “creative, flexible and constructive engagement” of the international community, the humanitarian and economic situation in Afghanistan will only get worse. “This participation is different from the positions that members of the international community may take for de facto authorities.” He noted that the United Nations remains on the ground, across the country, working with increased capacity to provide humanitarian assistance and meet the basic needs of the Afghan people. In this difficult winter, with the resilience of the Afghan people stretched to the limit, the international community needs to put the needs of the Afghan people first.
Welcoming humanitarian exemptions from sanctions regimes that have been issued, Guterres urges all donors to urgently provide additional commitments and general licensing for the necessary transactions for all. humanitarian activities.
“Apart from immediate humanitarian needs, the foundations of viable governance have been fundamentally broken, which presents a very real risk to the stability of the broader region and beyond,” he said. more,” he said.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from an aggregated feed.)
