Kabul: 28 July 2021 (TDI)
Afghan leaders, international speakers, and donors met at the Special Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board (JCMB) are meeting in Kabul on Wednesday where they reviewed commitments and progress. Afghan leaders include Muhammad Ashraf Ghani (President of Afghanistan), Amrullah Saleh (First Vice-President of Afghanistan), and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah (Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation). International speakers include Deborah Lyons (Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and Head of the UNAMA) and Fazel Mahmood Fazly (Director General of AoP). Ambassadors in Afghanistan were also present in the meeting.
Deborah Lyons stated that the event takes place in unprecedented circumstances. The number of individuals in need of humanitarian assistance nearly increased this year compared to 2020 as a result of violence. To address Afghanistan’s concerns, peace talks must be conducted in earnest to achieve an inclusive and fair peace.
At the meeting, international donors seek reassurances from Afghanistan’s government that it understands the nature of the current crisis and has a strategy in place to handle it. Taliban have inherited responsibilities as the battlefield has advanced. The entire world is watching to see how they react now. No major donor will fund persecution of women, discrimination against minorities, denial of education to girls, or dictatorial government orders. Today, 18 million Afghans are in the need of humanitarian assistance. They must be prioritized, and the UN family will stay and deliver as a civilian institution in Afghanistan. Donors were urged to fund vital humanitarian needs during this event co-hosted by the government and the United Nations.
