(United Nations) The current situation in Afghanistan, marked by a serious economic crisis, “threatens to increase the risk of extremism,” UN envoy in this country, Deborah Lyons, told the Security Council on Wednesday. which saw the Afghan ambassador appointed by the fallen authorities sharply criticize the Taliban.
“The continued deterioration of the formal economy will give a boost to the informal economy, including illicit drugs, arms flows and human trafficking,” she said.
“The current paralysis of the banking sector will push the financial system further towards informal unregulated money exchanges, which can only help to facilitate terrorism, drug trafficking and smuggling,” said Deborah Lyons. “These pathologies will first affect Afghanistan but then they will infect the region,” she warned.
The Taliban power, in place since August, has so far been unable to stem the development of the jihadist group Islamic State, also noted the UN official.
“Formerly limited to a few provinces and Kabul, ISIS now appears to be present in almost all provinces and increasingly active. The number of attacks has increased dramatically between last year and this year, ”she said.
On the humanitarian level, the disaster is imminent when it can be prevented, recalled Deborah Lyons, estimating that 23 million people could find themselves in a situation of food insecurity thanks to the winter.
In a letter to the US Congress on Wednesday, the Taliban called on the United States to release Afghan Central Bank assets frozen since August, amounting to nearly $ 9.5 billion. The West is calling in Kabul for concrete actions in favor of an inclusive government and human rights, especially for women and girls, before easing its economic sanctions.
“The financial sanctions imposed on Afghanistan have paralyzed the banking system, affecting all aspects of the economy,” said the UN representative, urging the international community “to urgently find a way” to finance the staff health, food programs and teachers that ensure access to education for girls.
“Apartheid between the sexes”
On this subject, “it is now 61 days since restrictions were imposed by the Taliban on the education of girls in secondary school,” lamented the Ambassador of Ireland, Geraldine Byrne Nason.
“Every day marks an unacceptable loss for the future of Afghanistan. A generation of girls is deprived of an education because of the fear and mistrust of some men. Every child has the right to education, whatever their sex, ”she pleaded.
At the end of the session, the Afghan ambassador to the UN, Ghulam M. Isaczai, appointed by the ousted government in August and still in office in the absence of international recognition of the new Taliban power, multiplied the criticisms of with regard to the latter.
“The Taliban have not kept their promises and commitments to the Afghans and the international community to mitigate the impact” of the current crisis “and the suffering of the Afghan people,” he said.
“They continue to defy international calls for respect for the human rights of Afghans, to form an inclusive government and to cut their ties with international terrorist groups,” the diplomat continued.
“In addition, they continue to commit gender apartheid by preventing women from working and girls from going to secondary school. This cannot continue ”, he insisted, also denouncing the repression by the Taliban of peaceful demonstrations and the“ vengeful killings ”targeting Afghans“ despite a so-called amnesty ”.