New Delhi: Afghanistan is currently facing a grave humanitarian crisis. Keeping that in mind India said Monday it will stand by Afghans just as it did in the past. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also noted that Afghanistan is passing through a ‘critical and challenging’ phase. He urged the international community to come forward and help Afghanistan.
In a virtual address at the UN high-level meeting on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, Jaishankar said that India has consistently supported a central role of the global body in the future of the war-torn country.
“India’s own approach to Afghanistan has always been guided by our historical friendship with its people. This will continue to be the case,” informed Jaishankar. A multilateral platform is always ‘more effective’ than small groups of countries in building global consensus, he added.
There has been a sea change in its political, economic, social and security situation and consequently, Afghanistan’s humanitarian needs, the minister said. Jaishankar further said that the issue of travel and safe passage that can emerge as an obstacle to humanitarian assistance be immediately sorted out. Those who want to travel into and out of Afghanistan should be granted such facilities without obstructions, he said. “As an immediate neighbour, India is monitoring developments in Afghanistan with understandable concerns,” informed Jaishankar.
The minister also asserted that the international community must come together to create the best possible enabling environment to assist the country.