US sanctions on Afghanistan hampers humanitarian aid: Iran

KABUL (Pajhwok): Iranian Foreign Minister Sayed Abbas Araghchi has criticised US sanctions on Afghanistan and said these measures left a negative impact on the flow of humanitarian aid, a statement said on Saturday.

He added, that political motives should not prevent the delivery of humanitarian aid to deserving people, the Iranian Foreign Ministry statement said.

Iranian foreign ministry has said in a press statement that the foreign ministers of Iran, China and Russia discussed the situation in Afghanistan during a quadrilateral meeting.

The top Iranian diplomat said: “The past two decades of US military invasion produced no result except bringing misery and insecurity for this country. This invasion resulted in the loss of many lives.”

The US and its allies left this country in 2021 and left all of the chaos for Afghanistan and its neighbors, we must not forget the reality that the US and NATO is responsible for most of the problems which both Afghanistan and its neighbors are facing today, Araghchi said.

Iran had been hosting over six million Afghan migrants and that country annually needs over $10 billion for the services of migrants, he concluded.

He said: “The international community must continuously support countries such as Iran. All of the humanitatrian aid for refugees must be unconditional and without political interference.”

Aaghchi has criticized the sanctions of the US on Afghanistan and clarified that these sanctions had left a negative impact on the delivery of humanitarian aid to Afghan refugees as well. He underlined the joint commitment of the countries for improving human, social and economic conditions in Afghanistan: “Political motives must prevent the provision of humanitarian aid to the people of Afghanistan. Our Western partners must understand that depriving an entire population of basic needs will not promote human rights or improve the situation of women and girls.”

The quadrilateral meeting was held at the sideline of 79^th general assembly of the UN at the suggestion of Iran.

Iranian foreign ministry said the quadrilateral meeting discussed the latest situation in Afghanistan and ended with a 19-point statement.

Aw/nh