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- The Group of 20 major economies has pledged humanitarian support for Afghanistan, even if it means coordinating efforts with the Taliban
- The emergency summit hosted by Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi was not attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin
- Since the Taliban took over on August 15, Afghanistan’s economy has all but collapsed, raising fears of a mass exodus of refugees
- The country’s banks are running out of money, civil servants have not been paid and food prices have soared, leaving millions at risk of severe hunger
- The G20 leaders say the Taliban needs to combat militant groups in the country and focus future humanitarian efforts on women and girls
At an emergency summit hosted by Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi on Tuesday, the Group of 20 major economies said it was determined to tackle the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, even if it meant having to coordinate efforts with the Taliban.
Since the Taliban took over the country on August 15, Afghanistan — already struggling with drought and severe poverty brought on by decades of war — has seen its economy all but collapse, raising fears of a mass exodus of refugees.
“There has basically been a convergence of views on the need to address the humanitarian emergency,” Mr Draghi told reporters at the end of the video conference.
US President Joe Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and many European leaders took part. However Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin did not, suggesting a difference in global perceptions of the emergency.
Mr Draghi said the absence of the two leaders did not undercut the importance of the meeting held by Italy, the current G20 chair.
“This was the first multilateral response to the Afghan crisis … multilateralism is coming back, with difficulty, but it is coming back,” he said.
The agreement about the need to need to alleviate the crisis in Afghanistan was unanimous among those who attended. The country’s banks are running out of money, civil servants have not been paid and food prices have soared, leaving millions at risk of severe hunger.
While the majority of the aid effort will be channelled through the United Nations, there will also be direct country-to-country assistance, despite a refusal by most states to formally recognise the hardline Taliban government.
“It is very hard to see how you can help people in Afghanistan without involving the Taliban … but that does not mean recognising them,” Mr Draghi said.
He added that the Taliban would be judged by their actions, not their words, and the world was particularly concerned about the plight of women.
“At this time we don’t see progress,” Mr Draghi said.
In a joint statement after the summit, the G20 leaders called on the Taliban to tackle militant groups operating out of Afghanistan, such as ISIS-K. They also said future humanitarian programs should focus on women and girls, as well as safe passage for those who wish to leave the country.
