United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has raised concerns about the worsening security situation in Afghanistan as the Taliban seized control and forced the Afghan President to flee. Guterres urged the Taliban to end the violence and work towards bringing back peace to the country.
According to a press note on Sunday, Guterres expressed “deep concern” about the situation in Afghanistan and called on all involved stakeholders to exercise “utmost restraint to protect lives and ensure that humanitarian needs can be addressed.” He stressed that the parties should remain committed to the ongoing intra-Afghan peace talks in Doha.
The UN chief highlighted that the ongoing violence has resulted in hundreds of thousands of Afghans “flee[ing] their homes” and talked about the reports that suggested human rights abuses and violations against vulnerable communities. Guterres specifically expressed concern about the “future of women and girls” in the country and the prospective impact of the current political situation on their “hard-won” rights. In this regard, he urged the Taliban and other involved parties to protect the Afghan people’s rights and freedoms and ensure compliance with international humanitarian law.
Additionally, Guterres reiterated the UN’s commitment to a “peaceful settlement” of the conflict and to protecting the rights of the Afghan people. However, he raised the alarm about the unfavourable “operating environment” for it. Consequently, he called on all stakeholders in the country to protect “humanitarian actors” and ensure “unimpeded access to deliver timely and life-saving services and assistance.”
The press note also mentioned that the Secretary-General is likely to address the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on the issue on Monday.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Affairs Chief Leonid Slutsky said that Russia, a permanent member of the UNSC, will call for an “immediate intervention” into the issue to “prevent a new humanitarian catastrophe” during the Council meeting.
The Taliban took control of Kabul, the country’s capital, on Sunday after weeks of violence. President Ashraf Ghani fled the country on the same day, marking the collapse of the Afghan government as the security forces failed to resist the Taliban, which secured control over most of the country in the past few weeks.
In the wake of recent developments, the United States, the United Kingdom, and India were forced to call back their envoys and expedite the evacuation of their citizens from the war-torn country. Several Afghans also escaped amid concerns regarding a crackdown on human rights and freedoms and the imposition of repressive religious laws on the citizens. According to an update by the United Nations’ relief wing, the conflict has resulted in over 17,600 internally displaced persons from July 1 to August 15.
UN Chief Guterres Raises Concern About Human Rights Situation in Afghanistan
Speaking of the security situation in Afghanistan, UN Chief António Guterres raised alarm about human rights violations by the Taliban, specifically against women and girls.
August 16, 2021
SOURCE: PTI