Humanitarian Aid In Afghanistan Should Be Free Of Conditions, Politics Included - ICRC

Muhammad Irfan Published September 13, 2021 | 09:28 PM

Humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan should not be dictated by conditions of any kind, including in the field of politics and human rights, Peter Maurer, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said on Monday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th September, 2021) Humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan should not be dictated by conditions of any kind, including in the field of politics and human rights, Peter Maurer, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said on Monday.

"Today, I also sound a warning on 'conditional humanitarianism'. Humanitarian action should not be conditional upon political, human rights or other stipulations. This is a dangerous path. It weakens respect for International Humanitarian Law and for humanitarian actors; and it erodes the principles of neutral, independent and impartial humanitarian action," Maurer said at a high-level meeting on humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, held in Geneva.

He outlined the essential hardships faced by the country's population, which suffers from "exorbitant" food prices, water shortages, and major disruptions of the national healthcare system, adding that it is vital to use "extraordinary" measures to reduce the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

The ICRC will continue its activities in Afghanistan, determined to boost the capacities of healthcare facilities which it supports, as well as provide rescue measures for the people. The organization estimates that around 150 million Swiss francs (almost $163 million) will be needed to cover its efforts in the Central Asian state for the next year, Maurer noted.

A number of Western nations, such as the United States, France, Italy, New Zealand, Belgium, as well as the European Union, pledged funding through UN structures to address the urgent needs of Afghanistan.

The Taliban (a terrorist organization, banned in Russia) seized the Afghan capital of Kabul in mid-August, then completed its offensive by capturing Panjshir, the last to hold out against them, on September 6.

Following the takeover, the movement unveiled the composition of the new interim government, led by Mohammad Hasan Akhund, former foreign minister in the first Taliban cabinet, who has been under UN sanctions since 2001.