Crisis situation
Humanitarian disaster: G20 special summit on Afghanistan
A woman holds one of her two babies, who are being treated in Kabul, in her arms. Photo: Felipe Dana / AP / dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
A humanitarian catastrophe threatens Afghanistan. The rights of women, minorities and those who criticize the regime are being severely restricted. Today the G20 states are discussing at a special summit.
Around two months after the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban, the most important industrial nations are discussing the future of the country in the Hindu Kush at a special G20 summit.
At the invitation of the Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, a video link will primarily discuss how Afghanistan can be given humanitarian aid on the one hand and how the terrorist threat can be averted on the other.
In addition to the 20 most important industrialized countries, representatives of the European Union, the United Nations and international organizations are invited to the virtual meeting from 1 p.m.
Taliban held talks with the USA and Iran
A central aspect of the deliberations is how other countries deal with the Taliban in Afghanistan. At the weekend, the Islamists held face-to-face talks with US officials for the first time since they came to power; In Doha, the two sides exchanged “openly and professionally,” as the US State Department announced. The consultations therefore dealt with security and terrorism issues, the departure of foreign nationals, human rights and aid for the majority of the Afghan population.
“We have to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe,” said Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) at a meeting with Draghi in Rome and welcomed the Italian G20 initiative. Draghi had already proposed and promoted a special summit in August, when dramatic images of the change of power in Kabul and of massive evacuations were going around the world. Most recently, the foreign ministers prepared the summit meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. The regular G20 summit will take place in Rome at the end of October.
Half of the population depend on humanitarian aid
According to UN figures, around 18 million Afghans – and thus half of the total population – are dependent on humanitarian aid. 93 percent of households do not have enough to eat. More than half of children under five are at risk of malnutrition. According to the UN, basic services are about to collapse. A much bigger humanitarian catastrophe looms if the international community allows Afghanistan’s health care, banks and economy to collapse.
At a donor conference in September, the country was pledged more than a billion euros – according to UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, only 35 percent of that was paid out. 3.5 million people have already been displaced in the country, and more than two million Afghans fled to neighboring countries.
The Bundestag member Jürgen Trittin praised the upcoming G20 special summit as “the right format”. He called on the G20: “There must be a strong common position to talk to the Taliban about humanitarian aid and the stop of blatant human rights violations beyond diplomatic recognition.”