A United Nations official expressed concerns over the dissolution of the Afghanistan Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), calling it a “retrograde” step for Afghans and civil society.
Michelle Bachelet, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said that she was dismayed over the decision to close Afghanistan’s human rights commission, which was recently announced.
Bachelet further said that the Afghanistan Human Rights Commission performed extraordinary work in extremely difficult conditions over many years, shining a spotlight on the human rights of all Afghans, including victims on all sides of the conflict.
“The AIHRC has been a powerful voice for human rights and a trusted partner of UN Human Rights, and its loss will be a deeply retrograde step for all Afghans and Afghan civil society.” said Michelle Bachelet.
The Islamic Emirate recently dissolved five departments, calling them “inactive” institutions.
The Human Rights Commission, the National Security Council, the Commission for the Supervision of the Implementation of the Constitution, the Secretariat of the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the High Council for Reconciliation were the institutions dissolved.
Meanwhile, a senior UN official for Afghanistan pledged that humanitarian assistance to the people will continue, regardless of politics.
Talking at a joint press conference, the UN Secretary General’s Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan, Ramiz Alakbarov, stressed the need to ensure human rights in the country.
“I am very proud to say that…, the agencies present at this table were able to reach 18- more than 18 million people in Afghanistan with lifesaving assistance,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Economy said it has finalized a scheme for the transparent distribution of aid to the people who are in need.
“This conference was held to increase our coordination in distributing aid,” said Din Mohmmad Hanif, Minister of Economy.
According to humanitarian organizations, around 4.4 billion dollars is needed to provide aid to the 24 million vulnerable people in the total 36 million population.
“As many of you already know and as we have already heard… 24.4 million people are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance,” said Isabelle Moussard Carlsen, Head of UNOCHA, Afghanistan.
The Islamic Emirate welcomed the support of the UN and other aid organizations to counter the ongoing crisis in the country.
Based on the statistics, the suspension of international aid, the high rate of unemployment following the collapse of the republican government, as well as drought and the economic crisis has plunged Afghanistan into a humanitarian disaster.—Agencies