Ensure unhindered access of international aid to Afghans: India at UNHRC

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on Tuesday held a special session to address the “serious human rights concerns and situation in Afghanistan“. This session comes in wake of one of the worst refugee crisis after the Taliban took control of the capital city of Kabul on August 15.

During the session, India called upon all concerned parties to allow unhindered access to international aid for Afghans. “We, as international community, must ensure full support to Afghan people in their desire for peace, stability and security,” said Indramani Pandey, India’s PR to UN.

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“As a neighbour of Afghanistan, current situation prevailing there is of great concern to us,” said India at UN Human Rights Council.

Expressing concern over condition of women and children, Pandey said voices of Afghan women, aspirations of Afghan children and rights of minorities must be respected.

“We hope for an inclusive and broad-based dispensation that represents all sections of Afghan society,” said the ndian representative, adding, “Hope Afghanistan situation doesn’t pose challenge to its neighbours and its territory not used by terror groups such as LeT, JeM.”

The Taliban seized power across the country this month, seizing control of almost all key towns and cities in the backdrop of withdrawal of the US forces that began on May 1.

On August 15, the capital city Kabul also fell to the Taliban, even as a large number of Afghans attempted in vain to flee the war-torn nation.

The insurgent forces have now sought to portray themselves as more moderate than when they had imposed a brutal rule in the late 1990s. But many Afghans remain sceptical of this and fear the return of the “regressive” regime.

India has been evacuating its citizens from Afghanistan and the evacuation process was discussed threadbare at the recent CCS meeting. The Centre has also decided that apart for Indian citizens, Afghan minorities like Hindus and Sikhs and Afghan nationals who choose to come to India would be brought back.