Taliban assure UN of protecting their staff in Afghanistan

Kabul: The Taliban have assured the United Nations that they would safeguard all UN operations and staff members working in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salaam Hanafi made this assurance during a meeting with UN secretary-general’s special representative to Afghanistan Deborah Lyons in Kabul on Saturday, Ariana News reported. “In a series of meetings in Kabul today UNAMA head @DeborahLyonsUN discussed #Afghanistan’s deepening economic & humanitarian crisis, as well as human rights concerns, with senior Taliban reps Amir Khan Muttaqi & Abdul Salam Hanafi at MFA & Hidaytullah Badri at Finance Min,” United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) tweeted.

In a statement, Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said that Hanafi asked for the UN’s cooperation in different sectors and assured Lyons the outfit would ensure the safety of all UN organizations in Afghanistan.

Lyons, on the other hand, briefed Hanafi on her recent visit to the US and said that the UN is committed to providing the people of Afghanistan with humanitarian assistance.

“Our priority is to protect the security and social rights of the Afghan people and (we) will not allow any group to threaten other countries using Afghanistan’s soil,” said Hanafi, as quoted by Ariana News.

The UN mission in Afghanistan further said that there is a need for inclusive governance and protection of the rights of all Afghans, women and men.

“The UN in Afghanistan continues to ramp up delivery of life-saving aid but UN envoy highlighted that all entities must do everything possible to prevent an economic collapse. There is a need for inclusive governance & protection of the rights of all Afghans, women & men,” UNAMA said in another tweet.

Separately, UN Chief Antonio Guterres on Saturday said that Antonio Guterres UN is staying and delivering, and will continue to promote and defend the rights of women and girls.

“In Afghanistan, the @UN is staying and delivering and will continue to promote and defend the rights of women and girls. We will not stop until girls can go back to school, and women can return to their jobs and participate in public life,” the UN chief tweeted.