Taliban’s Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs Abdul Salam Hanafi in a meeting with the Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Program (WFP), Carl Skau, on Monday urged that engagement, not sanctions, is the solution to move forward with the regime.
Taliban’s ARG said in a statement on Twitter that Hanafi emphasized that the sanctions of Taliban officials are ineffective and can exacerbate humanitarian efforts in the country which, according to the UN, threaten two-thirds of the population.
“Therefore, the international community should engage in a meaningful dialogue with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to explore solutions.” The Taliban deputy was quoted saying in the statement.
Hanafi’s emphasis on lifting sanctions comes after the UN Security Council report recently stated that over 50 Taliban leaders remain subject to travel bans, assets freeze, and arms embargo, among others.
The ARG statement highlighted Hanafi’s claim that the Taliban have “established overall security” and has “eradicated administrative corruption” across the country.
He further added that Afghanistan has been significantly affected by decades of war and insecurity and the international community should thus lift the barriers that hinder development programs in Afghanistan.
The Taliban Deputy PM said that the international community’s aid assistance, particularly UN programs, is not enough and demanded further support.
Meanwhile, the WFP deputy was quoted saying that the UN food agency has been working in different sectors across Afghanistan for over 60 years and reaffirmed its commitment to step up its efforts to deliver humanitarian assistance for the vulnerable people.
Skau also added that administrative corruption under Taliban rule is one of the main challenges in aid delivery.
