The European Union will announce Tuesday, October 12 at the G20 meeting in Rome an aid program of around one billion euros for the Afghan people and neighboring countries to avoid a humanitarian collapse.
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“
We must do everything in our power to prevent a major humanitarian and socio-economic collapse in Afghanistan.
The Afghan people must not pay the price for the actions of the Taliban.
This is why the support package is intended for the Afghan people and the country's neighbors who were the first to provide them with aid,
”European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement.
Avoid a humanitarian catastrophe
“
The package includes the 300 million euros for humanitarian purposes already agreed.
This humanitarian aid is accompanied by additional specialized aid for vaccinations, accommodation, as well as the protection of civilians and human rights,
”the committee said.
The decision was taken in consultation with member states during a meeting of development ministers who decided "
to adopt a calibrated approach to provide direct support to the Afghan people in order to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe without legitimizing the interim government of the Taliban,
”the statement said.
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European funding will be intended to directly support the local population and will be channeled to international organizations on the ground. The EU's overall development aid to Afghanistan, on the other hand, remains "
frozen
", recalls the Commission. The EU has established five criteria and "
they must be met before regular development cooperation can resume,
" said the Brussels executive.
In particular, the Taliban must respect fundamental human rights, in particular the rights of women, the Afghan government must be inclusive and allow access to humanitarian aid.
The extraordinary summit on Afghanistan organized on Tuesday by the Italian presidency is to discuss humanitarian aid and the fight against terrorism in this country.
EU and US officials are also meeting Tuesday in Qatar with Taliban leaders as these radical Islamists in power in Afghanistan continue their diplomatic efforts to garner international support.