Pakistani FM Warns of Afghanistan's Impending Economic Collapse
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Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, warns about the consequences of the economic degradation in Afghanistan during a meeting involving a number of foreign officials.
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AFP: Pakistan Warns of Afghanistan's Impending Economic Collapse (GGTN)
According to AFP, Pakistan's Foreign Minister warned Thursday during a meeting with US, Chinese, Russian, and Taliban diplomats in Islamabad that Afghanistan is on the verge of economic collapse.
The meeting included the new US special envoy for Afghanistan Thomas West.
Shah Mehmood Qureshi led the meeting, adding that any further economic degradation would hinder the Taliban's capability to run the country.
"It is, therefore, imperative for the international community to buttress provision of humanitarian assistance on an urgent basis," he said, adding that this included funds that had been frozen by Western donors since the Taliban overtook the country.
Qureshi asserted that re-allowing the funds to be accessed would "move the economy towards stability and sustainability."
West told reporters in Brussels that the Afghan government had "very clearly" expressed a desire for aid to be restored, as well as for international ties to be normalized and sanctions to be lifted.
It is worth noting that on August 18, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced the suspension of aid allocated to Afghanistan due to the lack of clarity within the international community.
An IMF spokesperson told AFP that the suspension was due to "lack of clarity within the international community" over recognizing a government in Afghanistan, “as a consequence of which the country cannot access Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) or other IMF resources.”
Beijing Offers Help
Earlier, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian told a press briefing that Beijing would "help the economic reconstruction of Afghanistan, within its capabilities."
Zhao Lijian added that China "has always pursued a friendly policy with the entire Afghan people, something which is not subject to change."
He stressed that the situation in Afghanistan has undergone "significant changes" recently, and after more than 40 years of war and instability, "the Afghan people yearn for peace."
Previously, the World Food Program representative in Afghanistan Mary Ellen McGorty said that “one in three people” suffer from food insecurity in Afghanistan due to several factors linked to the war in the country and the repercussions of climate warming.
