NEW DELHI (Reuters) – The foreign ministers of India, Russia and China expressed concern on Friday at the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and the spread of drug trafficking in the country.
Afghanistan has been plunged into crisis by the abrupt end of billions of dollars in foreign assistance, following the collapse of the Western-backed government and return to power of the Taliban in August.
“Expressing concern over deteriorating humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, the ministers called for immediate and unhindered humanitarian assistance to be provided to Afghanistan,” said a joint statement released following a virtual meeting between India’s S Jaishankar, Russia’s Sergey Lavrov and China’s Wang Yi.
The statement called on the Taliban to respect the results of United Nations resolutions on Afghanistan and the central role of the UN in the country.
The three countries also pledged to do more to combat drug smuggling in the region.
“The spread of illicit drug trafficking in opiates and methamphetamine from Afghanistan and beyond… poses a serious threat to regional security and stability and provides funding for terrorist organizations,” the statement added.
Most of the international forums stopped their aid and assistance to Afghanistan after the Taliban returned to power. Besides, the United States also seized nearly $9.5 billion in assets belonging to the Afghan central bank. The Taliban have repeatedly called for the release of the assets, but Washington rebuffed the call once, saying the new government in Kabul must “earn” international legitimacy first.
The Taliban’s return to power came as the U.S. was in the middle of a chaotic troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. The group announced the formation of a caretaker government on September 7, but their efforts to stabilize the situation have so far been undermined by international sanctions, as banks are running out of cash and civil servants are going unpaid.
The United Nations says Afghanistan is facing “one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.”