Amir Khan Motaghi: Afghanistan suffers from climate change impacts while having no role in it

The Taliban Ministry of Foreign Affairs website announced today, Tuesday, May 13th, that Amir Khan Muttaqi, acting head of this ministry, has met with Edem Wosornu, Chief of Operations of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

According to the statement, Mr. Muttaqi told Ms.Wosornu in this meeting, “Afghanistan has had no role in climate change despite being the most affected.”

The statement further adds that Mr. Muttaqi urged for this issue to be raised in international climate change forums and addressed the Chief of Operations of OCHA, saying, “I want to convey this message that the more Afghanistan suffers, the more help it needs; this issue must be heard in international climate change conferences.”

Mr. Muttaqi also stated in this meeting that countries that have played a major role in climate change should take responsibility and compensate for the damages.

As a result of recent heavy rains, which led to deadly and devastating floods in northern and western Afghanistan, according to the latest statistics, at least 315 people lost their lives, 1600 were injured, and more than 2600 residential homes were destroyed.

Climate experts attribute many of these unseasonal rains to the consequences of climate change caused by human activities in the industrial sector.