UN and Taliban Argue Over Aid Request While Victims Suffer
(RepublicanDaily.org) – Afghanistan was once again left under the tyrannical control of the Taliban following the disastrous withdrawal of American troops last August. Now, the country is facing another tragedy in the form of a deadly earthquake. It appears Afghanistan’s extremist leaders are poorly equipped to deal with this latest catastrophe.
According to US officials, the Taliban has not submitted a formal request for American aid money since the earthquake struck. However, the group did appeal for monetary assistance from the international community at large, and several nations have each offered millions of dollars in response.
UN says Taliban interfering with aid, resisting cash plan | Reuters
Taliban are resisting efforts by the UN to help get humanitarian funding into the country & are interfering in the delivery of aid, UN aid chief Martin Griffiths told UN Security Council. https://t.co/90ehDZupL6
— Mahmoud Saikal محمود صيقل (@MahmoudSaikal) June 24, 2022
The Taliban’s response in regards to the search and rescue missions is confusing. While the UN and other humanitarian aid agencies are undergoing efforts to rescue as many people as possible, they say the Taliban is not helping. In fact, the group has stated its rescue effort following the earthquake is nearly complete. Yet, the militia is continuing to seek international aid. It’s not just humanitarian assistance group leaders are looking for, either. Abdul Qahar Balkhi, the militia’s foreign ministry representative, requested enough financial help from foreign countries and aid agencies for Afghanistan’s citizens to rebuild their finances following the natural disaster.
Aid workers have reported few Taliban fighters are actively participating in rescue efforts, choosing instead to drive around the worst-affected areas in jeeps and observe the damage.
The official death toll from the earthquake currently stands at over a thousand and is expected to rise with many of the deaths attributed to families being trapped in their homes as walls and roofs collapsed under the pressure of the earthquake. Some people were fortunate to have survived the early morning quake but their homes were completely destroyed.
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