Muslim World Create Fund to Help Afghanistan Avoid Humanitarian Disaster

Islamabad, MINA – A full-day emergency conference convened by the Organization for the Cooperation of Islamic Countries (OIC) on Sunday agreed to set up a trust fund to address the humanitarian and economic crisis in Afghanistan, where millions of people face hunger and around one million children are at risk of dying from the disease, acute malnutrition.

The fund will be set up under the Islamic Development Bank to channel aid to the Afghan people, along with other international partners, according to a statement from members of the meeting held in Pakistan. In addition to the 57 OIC countries, the meeting was also attended by representatives from the United States, China, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations. Thus, it was quoted from Voice of America.

The conference marks the largest international gathering to help Afghanistan since the Taliban seized power from the Western-backed government in August. At that time, American-led foreign troops were gradually leaving the country after 20 years there.

Earlier, Taliban Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi assured the OIC meeting that his government would do more to increase national political inclusivity and promote human rights in the country, including rights for women.

Taliban released Muttaqi’s speech which was delivered in a closed session. “We consider human rights, women’s rights and participation of all capable Afghans fromdifferent regions, as part of our duty. We have done a lot in this regard and will continue to take further steps.”

He renewed his government’s guarantee of counterterrorism efforts, stating that no one is allowed to use Afghan territory against any country.

America and its Western allies have blocked the Taliban’s access to about $9.5 billion in Afghan assets, most of which are held in the American Central Bank. The US and its allies have also imposed financial sanctions, and cut off non-humanitarian aid to the war-torn nation’s economy, which relies largely on foreign aid.

Muttaqi once again demanded the disbursement of assets and the lifting of sanctions. He said the action “has hampered health, education and social services; and only harms the general public.”

By reason of fear of terrorism and the fading of human rights, especially women’s rights, America and other countries have refused to get directly involved with the Taliban.

This concern is partly because the previous Taliban regime, from 1996 to 2001, banned girls from going to school, and forbade women from leaving house without a mahram. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)