UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is worried about the rise of a “global terrorist threat” in Afghanistan after the collapse of the country’s government by the Taliban militant group. He also urged for measure to be taken to guarantee the rights of the entire Afghan people across the country.
Guterres told the UN Security Council on Monday that the 15-member body should “use all tools at its disposal to suppress the global terrorist threat in Afghanistan” and guarantee that basic human rights of Afghans will be respected.
We cannot & must not abandon the people of Afghanistan.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) August 16, 2021
It's time for the international community to stand, work & act together:
We must speak with one voice to uphold human rights.
We must unite to make sure Afghanistan is never again used as a safe haven for terrorists. pic.twitter.com/IspFhPi9zM
“We cannot and must not abandon the people of Afghanistan," the UN chief said, urging immediate end to violence in the war-torn country..”
The United Nations, which has about 3,000 national staff and about 300 international staff on the ground in Afghanistan, announced on Friday that some staff had been relocated to Kabul after the Taliban intensified attacks to seize further territory in the country.
"The United Nations presence will adapt to the security situation. But above all, we will stay and deliver in support of the Afghan people in their hour of need," Guterres said.
Moreover, Afghanistan's Ambassador to the UN Ghulam Isaczai told the Security Council that he was speaking for millions of people "whose fate hangs in the balance," including women and girls "who are about to lose their freedom to go to school, to work and to participate in the political, economic, and social life of the country."
Isaczai called on the council and the United Nations not to recognize any administration that achieves power by force or any government that is not inclusive.
As the world is following events in Afghanistan with a heavy heart, I urge all countries to be willing to receive Afghan refugees & refrain from deportations.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) August 16, 2021
Afghans have known generations of war & hardship. They deserve our full support.
Now is the time for solidarity.
The Afghan ambassador also called for the immediate establishment of an inclusive transitional government.
The Taliban laid siege to Kabul on Sunday, forcing the sitting Afghan president, Ashraf Ghani, to flee to an undisclosed location.
Ghani, whose current whereabouts are unknown, left Afghanistan when the Taliban entered Kabul virtually unopposed, and said he wanted to avoid bloodshed.
The unfolding events have led to chaos and confusion, with thousands of Afghan civilians and diplomats swarming Kabul airport to take evacuation flights.
In 2001, the US-led invasion of Afghanistan removed the Taliban from power. The security situation in the country, however, deteriorated through the years.
After US President Joe Biden ordered a hasty withdrawal of American forces by September 1, the militants intensified their offensive and rapidly overran major cities.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
