Taliban hail approval of Security Council resolution

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Taliban government, the United States, Pakistan and China have welcomed the Security Council resolution facilitating humanitarian aid flows into Afghanistan.

On Wednesday, the 15-member council unanimously adopted the US-proposed resolution on providing humanitarian assistance to the war-torn country without the violation of sanctions on the Taliban.

Commenting on the development, Deputy Minister of Information Zabihullah Mujahid commended the passage of the resolution.

“We appreciate it as it can help Afghanistan’s economic situation,” Mujahid said, hoping the international community would also speed up lifting of economic and banking sanctions on entities linked to the Taliban.

US Special Representative Thomas West welcomed the move, saying they along with the international community were united in supporting the Afghan people.

“This morning, the UNSC also unanimously passed resolution 2615, drafted by the US and designed to enable broader support for the basic needs of the Afghan people,” he tweeted.

Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Munir Akram told reporters in New York the resolution made it clear that activities supporting basic humanitarian needs in Afghanistan were not a violation of Security Council sanctions.”

China’s Ambassador Zhang Jun stressed: “Humanitarian aid and life-saving assistance must be able to reach the Afghan people without any hindrance.”

The UN undersecretary for humanitarian affairs, Martin Griffiths, welcomed the resolution, saying it would allow more than 160 humanitarian organisations “providing critical food and health assistance in Afghanistan … to implement the work we have planned”.

In Kabul, UNAMA hailed the decision and said in a Twitter post it would facilitate the delivery of urgent humanitarian help to millions of Afghans.

The UN mission urged the Taliban and the international community to accelerate necessary next steps to support needs and rights of the Afghan people.

mud

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