New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Monday expressed concern over the fast-evolving security situation in Afghanistan and said that Afghanistan is passing through a critical and challenging phase.
Addressing the high-level UN meeting on the humanitarian crisis in the country virtually, Jaishankar said, "There has been a sea change in its political, economic, social and security situation, and consequently, in its humanitarian needs," while adding that as an immediate neighbour, India is monitoring developments with understandable concern.
He highlighted that the UNDP has recently assessed that there is an imminent threat of poverty levels rising from 72 to 97 per cent in Afghanistan.
"This would have catastrophic consequences, not just in our collective fight against poverty, but also for regional stability," the EAM said.
Therefore, in the face of a grave emerging situation, India is willing to stand by the Afghan people, just as in the past, EAM Jaishankar added.
Later, Jaishankar at the UN high-level meeting pointed out the need to ensure safe travel and relief measures in Afghanistan. He said, "It's important that issues of travel & safe passage that can emerge as obstacles to humanitarian assistance be immediately sorted out."
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Those who wish to travel in & out of Afghanistan should be granted such facilities without obstruction, EAM Jaishankar said at UN high-level meet.
"The normalisation of regular commercial operations of Kabul airport would not only assist in that regard but then become the basis of a regular flow of relief material. This would also accelerate activities that would complement domestic relief measures," Jaishankar added.
Further, EAM went on to urge the international community to ensure best enabling environment in Afghanistan.
"Among the challenges that the current situation poses is that of efficient logistics. It is, therefore, essential that humanitarian assistance providers are accorded unimpeded, unrestricted and direct access to Afghanistan," Jaishankar pointed out.
He also highlighted that India has been supporting Afghanistan in all ways possible directly and indirectly, adding that India's approach to Afghanistan has always been guided by the historical friendship with its people.
Meanwhile, EAM Jaishankar will visit Tajikistan's capital Dushanbe to participate in a key meeting in Afghanistan and hold talks with counterparts from several countries, including Iran, on the fast-evolving situation in the war-torn country.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually attend the head of the state SCO summit on September 16, while Jaishankar will represent India in the meeting on Afghanistan and the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) the same day.
The SCO summit of the head of the states comes at a time Afghanistan is witnessing a catastrophic situation after the US forces left the country after 20 years and the Taliban taking control of the war-ravaged nation.
