The Taliban in power in Afghanistan pledged on Saturday not to hinder international efforts to come to the aid of the tens of thousands of people affected by the earthquake.
A 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit the southeast of the country on Wednesday, leaving more than 1,000 people dead and thousands homeless.
Read alsoAfghans count their dead after the earthquake
In the past, the Taliban have been accused by humanitarian organizations of diverting aid to areas where the population supported their insurgency against the pro-Western government.
But Khan Mohammad Ahmad, a senior Taliban official from the province of Paktika, the most affected by the earthquake, promised that there would be no interference in the operations of UN agencies and international NGOs.
"
Whether it is the WFP (World Food Programme), UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) or any other organization (...), the international community or the United Nations (...), they will distribution (of aid) themselves
,” he said.
But the Taliban will be "
always with them
", ready to help.