China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) Fu Cong called for urgent support for Afghanistan to alleviate its humanitarian crisis .
Fu said Wednesday at the UN Security Council that it is increasingly necessary to sustain the momentum of interaction between the international community and the Afghan government. Supporting Afghanistan in addressing its humanitarian and development challenges is urgent, he said.
The fundamental rights of all Afghan people should be guaranteed, and the eradication of various terrorist forces in the country is a strong expectation of the international community, Fu said.
The current situation in Afghanistan is generally stable, with the Afghan government actively developing its economy, combating drugs, and engaging in international activities. However, Afghanistan still faces complex and severe humanitarian and counter-terrorism challenges, he said.
Factors such as reduced foreign aid, frequent natural disasters and refugee returns are exacerbating the already serious humanitarian crisis, risking its expansion and prolongation.
The international community must take urgent actions to help Afghanistan emerge from the humanitarian crisis and achieve self-reliant development, Fu said.
The Chinese envoy also expressed support for the UN Secretary-General to promptly nominate a candidate with strong leadership who is acceptable to Afghanistan and all parties to fill the position of the head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, which has been vacant for three months.
China is willing to continue working with the international community to promote the Security Council's constructive role and contribute more to the political resolution of the Afghan issue, he said.
"Terrorism is a malignant tumor threatening Afghanistan's stability and development. We urge the Afghan government to correctly understand the counter-terrorism issue, fulfill its counter-terrorism commitments, take more resolute and forceful action to eliminate all terrorist forces based in Afghanistan and win the trust of regional countries and the international community. In the face of terrorism, a common enemy of humanity, the international community must strengthen solidarity and cooperation, discard ideological prejudices and geopolitical calculations, and oppose double standards or selective approaches," Fu said.
Nearly 22 million people in Afghanistan will need help in 2026, making it the world's third-largest humanitarian crisis, only after Sudan and Yemen, according to UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher.
For the first time in four years, the number of people facing hunger has gone up in Afghanistan, now reaching 17.4 million. And essential services -- already insufficient and uneven across the country -- are stretched to a breaking point as Afghan refugees return in record numbers, said the UN official.
Chinese envoy to UN calls for urgent support to alleviate Afghanistan's humanitarian crisis
Chinese envoy to UN calls for urgent support to alleviate Afghanistan's humanitarian crisis
