UN chief: Security has improved in Afghanistan

KABUL (Pajhwok): The UN secretary-general has acknowledged Afghanistan has improved security, reduced corruption and banned poppy cultivation.

But much more needs to be done, according to Antonio Guterres, who wrote on X: “The global community must keep pushing to ensure that the needs & rights of all Afghans are the central priority of the de facto authorities.”

Many Afghans were destitute, struggling to feed themselves, living without access to education, healthcare or employment, he said.

More than half the country’s population would require aid this year, but the UN humanitarian response plan had received less than three percent of the funds needed, the UN chief added.

“In Afghanistan, the outrageous ban on girls’ access to education & the ban on women’s employment must be reversed,” he stressed.

Women and girls must be able to meaningfully participate in all aspects of Afghan life, from seats in classrooms to the tables where decisions were made, he continued.

On Human Rights Day on Dec. 10, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) had also said the security situation in the country had improved.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has consistently emphasised on security improvement. It has repeatedly said the use of Afghanistan soil will not be allowed against any country.

kk/mud