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India promises to assist Afghanistan in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake at the United Nations.
At the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) briefing on Afghanistan, India extended its heartfelt sympathies to the victims and families affected by the catastrophic earthquake in Afghanistan, and committed to provide aid and support in this time of need.
Ambassador TS Tirumurti, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, stated in his statement to the Council, “To begin, please accept my heartfelt sympathies to the victims and their families, as well as all those affected by Afghanistan’s catastrophic earthquake. India shares the anguish of the Afghan people and stands ready to aid and support them in their hour of need.”
Mr Tirumurti stated that as Afghanistan’s contiguous neighbour and long-standing partner, India has a direct stake in the country’s return to peace and stability.
“Given our great historical and civilizational ties to the Afghan people,” he continued, “we are profoundly worried about recent developments in Afghanistan, particularly the deteriorating humanitarian situation.”
The Ambassador emphasised that India supported Security Council Resolution 2615, which provided for humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, while assuring that the Security Council would continue to exert oversight to prevent any possible diversion of funds and exploitation of sanctions exemptions.
“We take notice of the Emergency Relief Coordinator’s update on how the resolution is working. We hope that the ‘humanitarian carve outs’ in this Resolution are fully utilised by UN agencies and their aid partners “Mr Tirumurti was emphatic.
In response to the Afghan people’s humanitarian needs, India has delivered various shipments of humanitarian aid, including 30,000 MTs of wheat, 13 tonnes of pharmaceuticals, 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, and winter clothes.
These humanitarian supplies were delivered to Kabul’s Indira Gandhi Children’s Hospital and UN specialised agencies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations World Food Programme (UNWFP).
The Government of India inked an agreement with the UNWFP for the distribution of 50,000 MT of wheat within Afghanistan to ensure fair and just distribution of India’s wheat assistance. The shipment of this wheat to Afghanistan has already begun.
Furthermore, an Indian team recently visited Kabul (on June 2-3) and met with representatives of the International Organizations involved in the distribution of humanitarian assistance to oversee the utilisation of India’s medical and food-grain assistance and to further assess the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people.
The crew also went to areas where Indian programmes and projects are being implemented, such as the Indira Gandhi Children Hospital, Habibia High School, Chimtala sub-power station, and the UNWFP wheat distribution centre.
“We are already transporting additional medical supplies and food grains to Afghanistan. We also sent Iran one million doses of “Made in India” COVAXIN COVID-19 vaccine to be administered to Afghan refugees. Furthermore, we have helped UNICEF by giving around 60 million doses of polio vaccine and two tonnes of necessary medications “During the Council briefing, UN PR to India stated.
Mr Tirumurti stated that India’s approach to Afghanistan will be determined, as always, by the country’s historical friendship and particular relationship with the Afghan people.
He went on to say that the international community’s aspirations for the future of Afghanistan were clearly stated in the Council’s Resolution 2593 and reinforced thereafter, notably in UNSCR 2626.
Further, Mr Tirumurti stated that India is closely monitoring the security situation in Afghanistan and is actively interacting with the international community to ensure agreement on matters of security, peace, and stability.
According to the Ambassador, the study also stated that the Taliban has yet to disassociate itself from other terrorist organisations like as Al-Qaeda, which are still operational.
Furthermore, when speaking about women’s and girls’ rights in Afghanistan, Mr Tirumurti stated, “We are profoundly concerned about recent events in Afghanistan, which have a direct influence on the well-being of Afghan women and girls. In Afghanistan, there has been an increased effort to remove women from public life. We join others in urging the safeguarding of women’s and girls’ rights, as well as the preservation of the hard-won advances over the last two decades.”
Mr Tirumurti concluded his briefing by emphasising that peace and security in Afghanistan are essential imperatives that all must work toward cooperatively.
“India will continue to contribute to the achievement of that goal. The interests of the Afghan people will remain central to our actions in Afghanistan “he stated.
