India is willing to stand by the Afghan people just as it supported them in the past, said External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. Addressing the UN High Level Meeting on the Humanitarian Situation in Afghanistan, the Minister expressed support for a “central role” for the U.N. in dealing with the crisis.
“Today, I want to underline that in the face of a grave emerging situation India is willing to stand by the Afghan people, just as in the past,” said Mr. Jaishankar urging the international community to “come together” . India expressed its “understandable concern” about the situation two days after Mr. Jaishankar joined his Australian counterpart in highlighting the importance of the Security Counil Resolusion 2593 in dealing with the crisis.
The world community must come together to create the “best possible enabling environment” for helping the Afghan people and addressing challenges such as efficient logistics in the current situation.
India’s contributions to the humanitarian requirements of Afghan society have included providing more than one million metric tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan over the past decade. Last year, India shipped 75,000 metric tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan via Iran’s Chabahar port.
India’s efforts are also reflected in some 500 development projects in all 34 provinces of Afghanistan in critical areas such as power, water supply, road connectivity, healthcare, education, agriculture and capacity-building.
Jaishankar noted the issue of travel and safe passage “can emerge as an obstacle to humanitarian assistance” and should be “immediately sorted out”. He said: “Those who wish to travel into and out of Afghanistan should be granted such facilities without obstruction.
“The normalisation of regular commercial operations of Kabul airport would not only assist in that regard, but then become the basis for a regular flow of relief material.”
Jaishankar said UN Security Council resolution 2593, which was passed at a meeting held under India’s presidency of the body last month, should guide the world community’s approach towards Afghanistan in the coming days.
He also recalled India’s role as the largest regional donor for reconstruction and development efforts in Afghanistan, with pledges totalling $3 billion in recent years. India’s approach to Afghanistan has always been guided by its “historical friendship with its people” and this will continue to be the case, he said.
