THE UN Security Council on Wednesday unanimously adopted a US-proposed resolution that facilitates humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, which is on the verge of economic collapse, while keeping funds out of Taliban hands.
The resolution states that “payment of funds, other financial assets or economic resources and the provision of goods and services necessary to ensure the timely delivery of such assistance or to support such activities are permitted.”
After tangible measures agreed upon by the recently-held extraordinary session of the OIC Foreign Ministers in Islamabad, this is another good news vis-à-vis the need to provide urgent relief assistance to the Afghan people.
In fact, most of the members of the international community were willing to offer their cooperation to mitigate sufferings of Afghans but they were hesitant to take practical steps in view of sanctions imposed on Taliban in the past.
Now that the situation is clear, it is hoped there would be adequate flow of aid to avert the impending humanitarian disaster in Afghanistan.
Credit goes to China and Russia, two veto-wielding powers, which frustrated attempts by the United States to authorize case-by-case exemptions to sanctions (as suggested in the first draft of the resolution).
China’s UN Ambassador Zhang Jun emphasized that humanitarian aid and life-saving assistance must be able to reach the Afghan people without any hindrance.
The scale and nature of the crisis in Afghanistan warrants liberal assistance for a longer duration but it was because of some countries like India that the scope of the resolution has been limited to one year.
This exposes their claims about their concern for the plight of Afghan people and their real designs of using the tool of aid to achieve political objectives.
Anyhow, as Afghanistan has no representation at international forums, it is the responsibility of countries like Pakistan, China, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Turkey to coordinate global efforts for immediate provision of relief supplies.
