Humanitarian situation in Afghanistan highly alarming

Addressing the United Nations Security Council on “Situation in Afghanistan” on Wednesday, Iran's Permanent Ambassador to the United Nations Majid Takht-Ravanchi said, "The Humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is highly alarming."

The full text of his speech is as follows: 

I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for organizing this meeting. I would also like to thank SRSG for her briefing.

Today’s meeting is very timely and important since Afghanistan is facing serious challenges.

The Humanitarian situation is highly alarming. As winter approaches, the people are facing an imminent humanitarian crisis. This makes the provision of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan more urgent.

The role of the United Nations in the current situation is crucial. We support the efforts of the UNAMA and other UN agencies in aiding the Afghan people.

As a neighboring country, and based on common historic, cultural, linguistic, and religious bonds between our two nations, Iran cannot remain indifferent to the plight of the People of Afghanistan.

For over four decades, we have hosted millions of Afghans and generously helped them particularly during the pandemic and under severe economic situations resulting from unlawful U.S. sanctions.

Since mid-August, thousands of Afghans enter Iran on daily basis.

If the humanitarian situation is not addressed urgently and properly, hundreds of thousands more Afghans are estimated to enter Iran in the coming winter.

To date, we have done whatever in our power to help Afghans entering Iran, including through provision of basic needs.

Additionally, we have also dispatched many humanitarian convoys to Afghanistan.

However, due to unlawful and inhumane U.S. sanctions and in the absence of sufficient new financial resources, we will be unable to help them on our own anymore.

Let’s be straightforward. This is not a local challenge and Afghanistan’s neighboring must not be left alone and expected to address this extremely difficult challenge single-handedly.

We call on the international community and in particular donor countries to live up to their responsibilities and extend new and adequate financial resources to Afghanistan’s neighbors to help Afghan refugees and displaced persons.

The timely provision of humanitarian assistance, and the release of Afghanistan’s frozen assets, which is essential for reviving Afghan’s economy and saving people’s lives, should in no way be politicized or conditional.

Parallel efforts must also be made to avoid a total collapse of the Afghan economy.

These urgent efforts, however, must not deflect our attention and efforts from the need to counter-terrorism and drug trafficking in Afghanistan.

The recent terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, including the ones in Kabul today, are of grave concern and alarming. They indicate how essential addressing these threats have become for regional and international peace and security.

They also exhibit, once more, the brutalities of terrorists. Therefore, there should be zero tolerance toward terrorism and its financers, organizers, and supporters in Afghanistan.

It must be ensured that the territory of Afghanistan must never be used for terrorist activities, utilized as a safe haven for terrorist groups or a source for the production of, and trafficking in, drugs.

The establishment of a truly inclusive and representative government, with the participation of all ethnic and religious groups, committed to combatting terrorism and organized crime and guaranteeing and protecting, based on true Islamic teachings and principles, the human rights of all Afghans including ethnic, linguistic, and religious minorities and women, is vital for building a secure, stable, and prosperous Afghanistan.

To this end, Iran will continue its engagement with all parties in Afghanistan, including the Taliban. In pursuing our peaceful and humanitarian endeavors in Afghanistan, Iran’s Special Representative for Afghanistan is currently visiting Kabul. During his visit, he has met senior Taliban officials and discussed urgent issues, such as humanitarian aid, refugees, as well as security and economic challenges that the people of Afghanistan are facing.

We will also continue our consultations with Afghanistan’s neighbors as well as regional and international partners including the UN to help bring durable peace, security, and stability to Afghanistan.

In this context, on 27 October 2021, we hosted the Second Ministerial Meeting of Neighbors of Afghanistan and Russia. In a statement issued at the end of that meeting, the participants expressed their strong support to achieve peace, stability, and national reconciliation in Afghanistan and encouraged all parties in Afghanistan, including the Taliban, to continue the political dialogue and consultations to establish an inclusive and representative government with the participation of all groups and segments of the country.

Iran will continue to assist the people of Afghanistan and to work with Afghanistan’s neighbors and other partners to ensure durable peace and sustainable development in Afghanistan.

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