The UN Security Council is set to hold a special session on Monday evening March 10th, to review the situation in Afghanistan. During this session, Roza Otunbayeva, the head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), will present a report on the country’s political, economic, and humanitarian challenges.
This comes as UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned in his recent report that Afghanistan, despite the end of the war three years ago, still faces “one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.”
He emphasized: “The Taliban’s restrictive policies and measures, particularly against women, have weakened economic activities and livelihoods, and complicated the delivery of aid to those in need.”
The session will also discuss extending UNAMA’s mandate, which expires on March 17th. It is expected that the mission will be renewed for another year. UNAMA operates to coordinate humanitarian aid and efforts to reduce tensions in Afghanistan. However, Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesperson, recently described the mission as “ineffective and unsuccessful.”
Afghanistan’s fragile economy, human rights violations, and discriminatory policies against women and girls have intensified global concerns. The UN Security Council will work to coordinate necessary measures to manage this crisis.