Time to respect the obligations to the Afghan people

Children running through a desolated path Children running through a desolated path Photo by Sohaib Ghyasi on Unsplash

25 August 2021

Save the Children warns on the need of Afghans caught between conflict and humanitarian needs

 The Taliban have taken control of the largest part of the Afghan territory, bringing about harrowing feelings of fear and desperation amongst the population. Throughout the last weeks, endless queues of people have been gathering in the airports of Kabul in order to flee the country: particularly disheartening are those scenes portraying parents handing over their children to foreigners to make sure they will be able to conduct a normal life, far away from the cruelties of the Taliban regime. Nevertheless, it is evident that the majority of the civilian population will not have the chance to get on one of those planes leaving the country, being destined to be stuck in Afghanistan and being plunged into the daily atrocities perpetrated by the new controlling Power.

Chris Nyamandi, Country Director of Save the Children Afghanistan, expressed all his concerns about the current situation, reiterating the need to not abandon Afghan people and the duty of the international community to respect all the obligations to them. As recalled by Nyamandi, in 2020 Save the Children managed to provide roughly 1.6 million Afghans with support and humanitarian assistance, making sure to mitigate the impact of the conflict on them. Nevertheless, given the current circumstances, all these life-savings activities have been suspended. Save the Children, like all the other NGOs which have operated in the country in the last decades, is still committed to remain in the country and continue to offer aid to the affected people. Indeed, since the end of May, the number of internally displaced people and civilians in huge need of aid has more than doubled, with approximately half a million Afghans –including 330.000 children- have lost their homes, according to Save the Children. Subsequently, several thousands of families lack access to adequate shelter, drinkable water and sufficient food, as well as electricity supplies and medical care. In addition to the destruction brought about by the armed clashes, the conflict has also resulted in an exponential rising of prices and the collapse of the banking system, exacerbating the economic difficulties of many households. Furthermore, the imposition of the Islamic Law furthered by the Taliban raises deep concerns about female children’s rights, as they will be likely exposed to forced marriages and prevented from attending school, endangering their personal and educational growth.

For this reason, it is fundamental for the entire international community -comprehending both international organizations and domestic governments- to continue to work in order to make sure that the humanitarian work in the country can resume as soon as possible without facing hindrances. In order to do so, the priorities consist of raising adequate funds to support the activities and ensure the safe passage of life-saving goods and services.

 

Sources: 

https://reliefweb.int/report/afghanistan/we-cannot-abandon-afghanistan

 

Author: Gianpaolo Mascaro

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