UN envoy urges world aid to Afghanistan in nation-building efforts

UNITED NATIONS: The UN envoy for Afghanistan on Friday called for continued international political and financial support to Afghanistan while urging Kabul to redouble efforts in its nationbuilding efforts, China’s Xinhua news agency reported.

The appeals came as Tadamichi Yamamoto, UN secretarygeneral’s special representative in Afghanistan, was speaking at an open meeting of the UN Security Council on the current situation in Afghanistan.

The deteriorating security situation remains of great concern, he said, urging the Taliban to enter peace talks without preconditions and warning against attacks by foreign fighters, including the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

More focused action on governance, social services and private sector development to promote equitable growth will be necessary. The visible progress co-existed with grave challenges in the Asian country, he said.

“The government has to pursue both an inclusive peace process and economic growth against the backdrop of an intensifying insurgency and worsening security.”

Last year, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), headed by the UN envoy, recorded the worst number of civilian casualties since record-keeping began nearly a decade ago. Deteriorating security also led to the highest-ever level of internal displacement in 2016.

More than 650,000 Afghans were displaced. Returns from Pakistan exceeded 620,000 people.

Displacements and returns for 2017 are likely to remain at these levels.Developing a nation while fighting an insurgency is an uphill struggle, he emphasised, noting that due in part to the worsening security situation over the past two years, service delivery has become increasingly difficult. — Bernama