Two Top UN Officials Warn of Consequences of Ignoring Afghanistan

Two top United Nations officials are urging Western nations to engage with Afghanistan to prevent the country from sliding back into instability. The officials, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Barham Salih, and the head of the United Nations Development Program, Alexander De Croo, made their appeal during a joint visit to the country.

According to Salih, ignoring Afghanistan is not a good thing to do, and the lesson of the recent past is that engagement is crucial for the country’s stability. He emphasized that it’s wiser to engage, support, and promote the right type of policies to ensure that Afghanistan remains safe and secure.

Salih warned that without engagement, the country may risk instability, which could have far-reaching implications, including the movement of refugees, drugs, extremism, and criminal activity. He highlighted that the return of nearly 6 million people to Afghanistan since 2023 has strained local communities, which already have scant resources.

The officials noted that the return of refugees has been exacerbated by massive cuts in international aid and a Taliban government that has sidelined half of Afghanistan’s population, denying women and girls education beyond primary school and banning them from most jobs. The country is also internationally isolated, with no Western nation having formally recognized its government since the Taliban seized power in 2021.

However, despite the significant challenges, Afghanistan has shown improvement in some areas, notably in security and combating corruption and drug production. The UN officials highlighted that drug production has decreased by 95% in a country that was one of the world’s major producers of opium and heroin.

De Croo emphasized that the international community should not turn its back on Afghanistan, as the consequences of inaction would be far-reaching and affect not only the country but also the broader region. He urged Western nations to engage with Afghanistan, as a stable and peaceful neighborhood is essential for their own stability and peace.

The harsh government-imposed restrictions on women and girls remain a major point of contention between the Afghan government and the international community. The UN officials expressed hope that constructive engagement would show the way forward in this regard and lead to tangible reforms that would allow for an inclusive system in the country.

The international aid cuts have had a tangible impact on the country, with 422 medical centers shutting down due to lack of funding in the space of a year. The officials highlighted that this has left over 3 million people without access to basic medical services.

De Croo noted that the Afghan government had launched a campaign to eradicate poppy cultivation, but the dramatic cut in drug production was also due in part to farmers being given alternative crops to opium poppies. However, funding for such programs has been severely curtailed, and if this continues, drug cultivation could return.

Salih emphasized that it is vital to remind the world that the price of inaction far outweighs action, and that ignoring Afghanistan is not a good thing to do. He warned that what happens in Afghanistan does not necessarily stay in Afghanistan and that the country’s instability could have far-reaching consequences.