Amrullah Saleh urges UN to look into Afghanistan crisis as per 'UN Principles'

Amrullah Saleh, the former vice-president of Afghanistan, called the United Nations on Friday to investigate the Afghan crisis in accordance with the 'UN Principles.' He urged UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres not to ignore or dismiss UN resolutions on the Taliban and terrorism. Saleh went on to say that the Taliban has begun diverting a large portion of humanitarian aid to their fighters.

Amrullah Saleh, on January 14, posted a tweet in response to António Guterres' address to the media, where the UN chief spoke about how frigid temperatures and frozen assets constitute a deadly combination for Afghanistan. Saleh's tweet read, "Excellency @antonioguterres Talbs have started to divert a big chunk of humanitarian assistance to their fighters. Plz ensure direct access to the Afg ppl. 2ndly the problem isn't just the cold & weak economy. Please don't ignore or belittle UN resolutions on Taliban & terrorism. PRINCIPLES !"

On January 13, to avoid economic and social collapse, the UN chief warned that millions of Afghans are on the point of death, calling the international community to support the UN's $5 billion humanitarian appeals, liberate Afghanistan's frozen assets, and restart its banking system.

UN urges the international community to "rapidly inject liquidity" into the Afghan economy

"Freezing temperatures and frozen assets are a lethal combination for the people of Afghanistan," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters, adding that "rules and conditions that prevent money from being used to save lives and the economy must be suspended in this emergency situation."

When the Taliban seized power in mid-August amid the tumultuous exit of US and NATO troops after 20 years, Afghanistan's aid-dependent economy was already in trouble. The international community froze Afghanistan's assets abroad and blocked economic aid, refusing to deal with the Taliban because of their reputation for cruelty and refusal to educate girls and allow women to work during their 1996-2001 rule.

According to the United Nations, 8.7 million Afghans are on the verge of starving, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated it is important to quickly pump more money into the Afghan economy to avoid a meltdown that would result in poverty, hunger, and misery for millions. According to Guterres, the World Bank released $280 million from an Afghanistan reconstruction trust fund it manages to UNICEF and the World Food Program for their operations in the country last month.

Image: AP