Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Member
States Briefing on the Humanitarian Situation in
Afghanistan
Thank you, Martin, and thank you to your IASC colleagues for this
important briefing.
The UK welcomes your mission to Afghanistan just as we welcome
that of the Deputy Secretary-General previously. We believe that
regular senior UN level engagement, in close coordination with
NGOs, will be important in the weeks and months ahead as we
navigate a way forward.
As you have told us, the consequences of the Taliban’s edicts on
the humanitarian community’s ability to tackle one of the world’s
biggest humanitarian crises are painfully evident.
Female humanitarian workers play a critical role in accessing
Afghan communities in need: they reach populations their male
counterparts cannot.
The consequences of the edicts will not be limited to our ability
to provide humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people. They
will also have a wider impact across our collective interests -
across counter-terrorism, counter-narcotics, and regional
stability.
The Taliban’s systematic attempts to erase women from society
will have clear costs on Afghanistan’s economy, stability and
security. We are clear there can be no movement on recognition
until the Taliban meets the expectations of the international
community which have been set out repeatedly in successive
Security Council resolutions.
We must remain united, firm and unequivocal in our message to the
Taliban: aid delivery without the participation of women cannot
be normalised, and impairs the entire population – not only women
and girls.
So the UK calls on the Taliban to guarantee the safety and status
of all humanitarian staff, female and male, international and
national. Their critical role needs to be understood at all
levels – from national representatives to provincial security
forces and district level officials.
As we continue to monitor development in Afghanistan, the
international community needs to listen and respond to the voices
of Afghan women. Their voices must be heard at all levels of the
humanitarian response. That means high levels of transparency
from humanitarian partners on the challenges they are facing in
ensuring that women are able to access and participate in the
delivery of assistance.
We should continue to use evidence-based arguments to demonstrate
to the Taliban the impact of their edicts.
So Martin, to close, the UK calls on the Taliban to reverse their
damaging edicts and take action to ensure all communities have
access to aid and basic services.
And we, the UK, will continue to support the humanitarian
community as you engage the Taliban on these challenges in the
weeks and months ahead.
