External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar highlighted the threat of poverty in Afghanistan at a high-level UN meet on the humanitarian crisis the country is facing after the Taliban took over mid-August, and said India is willing to stand by Afghans in this hour of need.
Jaishankar made an intervention at the UN High-Level Meeting on the ‘Humanitarian Situation in Afghanistan 2021’. After the Taliban blitz over Afghanistan, citizens have been facing a dire threat to their human rights, and essential services in the country – healthcare, medical aid, banking – are facing disruptions.
Here are the top highlights of Jaishankar’s speech:
1. UNSC Resolution 2593 Should Guide International Action: “India has consistently supported a central role of the United Nations on its future. A multilateral platform is always more effective than small groups in building a global consensus and encouraging united action. We, therefore, believe that the UN Security Council Resolution 2593 should guide the international community’s approach in the coming days,” Jaishankar said.
2. Afghanistan Passing Through Critical Phase, India Monitoring Developments: “Afghanistan is passing through a critical and challenging phase. There has been a sea change in its political, economic, social and security situation, and consequently, in its humanitarian needs. As an immediate neighbour, India is monitoring developments with understandable concern,” he said.
3. Threat of Poverty: “The UNDP has recently assessed that there is an imminent threat of poverty levels rising from 72 to 97 percent in that country. This would have catastrophic consequences, not just in our collective fight against poverty, but also for regional stability,” the EAM said.
4. Safe Travel, Relief Measures: “It is important that the issue of travel and safe passage that can emerge as an obstacle to humanitarian assistance be immediately sorted out. Those who wish to travel into and out of Afghanistan should be granted such facilities without obstruction. The normalisation of regular commercial operations of Kabul airport would not only assist in that regard, but then become the basis for regular flow of relief material. This would also accelerate activities that would complement domestic relief measures,” he said.
5. Historical Friendship of India With Afghanistan: “India’s own approach to Afghanistan has always been guided by its historical friendship with its people. This will continue to be the case. For that reason, even in the past, we have contributed to the humanitarian requirements of that society,” said Jaishankar.
6. Aid India Provided Afghanistan In Past: “India has provided more than 1 million metric tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan over the past decade. Last year too, we have assisted Afghanistan with 75,000 MT of wheat. India had also partnered World Food Programme (WFP) for distribution of high protein biscuits over several years. This innovative scheme particularly supported vulnerable school-going children of Afghanistan,” Jaishankar highlighted.
7. Indian Developmental Projects in Afghanistan: “India’s efforts in helping the Afghan people have been both direct and indirect. We have contributed to their livelihood and larger framework as significantly as we have to direct material needs. Our friendship is reflected in Indian development projects that today exist in all the 34 provinces. In all, we have invested more than US$3 billion for the welfare of the people of Afghanistan. We have undertaken 500 projects in critical areas of power, water supply, road connectivity, healthcare, education, agriculture and capacity building,” he said.
8. India Willing to Stand By Afghans: “I wish to underline that in the face of a grave emerging situation, India is willing to stand by the Afghan people, just as in the past,” the EAM said.
9. International Community Must Come Together: “To ensure that this happens speedily and effectively, we believe that the international community must come together to create the best possible enabling environment. Among the challenges that the current situation poses is that of efficient logistics. It is, therefore, essential that humanitarian assistance providers are accorded unimpeded, unrestricted and direct access to Afghanistan. Once relief materials reach that country, the world will naturally expect a non-discriminatory distribution of humanitarian assistance, across all sections of the Afghan society,” he said.
10. Only UN Has Capacity to Monitor Endeavours: “Only the United Nations has the capacity to monitor such endeavours and reassure donors. As the picture becomes clear in respect to these legitimate concerns, I am confident that the world will step forward and assist the Afghan people in their hour of need,” Jaishankar said.
Read all minute-by-minute news updates for Uttar Pradesh election results 2022, Punjab election results 2022, Uttarakhand election results 2022, Manipur election results 2022, and Goa election results 2022.
Click here for seat-wise LIVE result updates.
Comments
0 comment