Afghanistan: UN chief urges Taliban to halt offensive immediately, negotiate ‘in good faith’

António Guterres told reporters astatine UN Headquarters successful New York that humanitarian needs were “growing by the hour” and the state mostly spinning retired of control.

Chaos and despair

“Even for a state that has tragically known generations of conflict, Afghanistan is successful the throes of yet different chaotic and hopeless section – an unthinkable calamity for its long-suffering people”, helium said, noting that much than 1,000 radical person been killed oregon injured from indiscriminate attacks against civilians, notably successful Helmand, Kandahar and Herat provinces, successful conscionable the past month.

The UN main said the fighting betwixt Taliban and Afghan information forces for power of cities and towns, was “causing tremendous harm. At slightest 241,000 radical person been forced to fly from their homes…Hospitals are overflowing. Food and aesculapian supplies are dwindling. Roads, bridges, schools, clinics and different captious infrastructure are being destroyed”, helium added.

“Continued municipality struggle volition mean continued carnage” helium said, with civilians inevitably paying the highest price.

“I telephone connected each parties to instrumentality heed of the conflict's dense toll and its devastating interaction connected civilians. They each indispensable bash much to support civilians.”

Women’s rights nether attack

Mr. Guterres said helium was “deeply disturbed” by reports of the Taliban imposing terrible restrictions connected quality rights successful the areas nether their control, peculiarly targeting women and journalists.

“It is peculiarly horrifying and heartbreaking to spot reports of the hard-won rights of Afghan girls and women being ripped distant from them”, helium continued.

The UN main called connected the planetary community, to marque wide to the Taliban that seizing powerfulness done subject force, was “a losing proposition. That tin lone pb to prolonged civilian war, oregon to the implicit isolation of Afghanistan.

Holding connected for peace

He said determination was inactive imaginable for stalled intra-Afghan talks taking spot successful Doha, Qatar, supported by the portion and the wider planetary community, which could pb to a negotiated settlement.

“Only an Afghan-led negotiated governmental colony tin guarantee peace”, helium added, declaring that the UN was determined to lend to a bid deal, “promote the rights of each Afghans and provide life-saving humanitarian assistance to the ever expanding numbers of civilians successful need.”