KABUL: High-ranking Islamic Emirate officials held meeting joint meeting with the representatives of the United Nations and some other NGOs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs deputy spokesman Hafiz Zia Ahmad Takal said today.
In the meeting, in addition to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mawlavi Amir Khan Muttaqi, representatives of the Ministries of Rehabilitation and Rural Development, Economy, Finance, Interior Affairs, Public Health, Refugees and Repatriation, Agriculture and Livestock, Water and Electricity, Industry and Commerce, Information and Culture, Disaster Management, Education, Martyrs and Disabled, Kabul Municipality, and the National Environmental Protection Agency was participated from Afghan side, said the statement.
The statement added from UN side, in addition to the officials of the United Nations humanitarian and development aid, the officials of various United Nations agencies (OCHA, WFP, UNDP, UNICEF, UN-Habitat, FAO, UNHCR, UNESCO, ILO, UNFPA, WHO, UNODC), IRC, INTERSOS, NRC, ACBAR, DACAAR, ACF and private sector representatives have participated.
In the meeting, the needs of the people of Afghanistan and the priorities of the Islamic Emirate, the assistance and future programs of the United Nations and development, as well as decision-making and coordination between the two parties, were discussed.
Speaking in the meeting, Mawlavi Amir Khan Muttaqi, stated: “After the end of the war in the country, now is the time to concentrate all efforts on the reconstruction and development of the country.”
Ministry Muttaqi went on as saying that due to the 40-year war, there are hundreds of thousands of widows, orphans, and disabled individuals, millions of refugees in neighboring countries, a health system reliant on foreign aid, millions of drug addicts, the presence of unexploded mines and ordnance, ongoing drought, and earthquakes, floods, climate change, and other natural disasters, is currently impossible to address these issues without international assistance in the short term.
He further said: “In order to benefit from international assistance, the type of aid and its distribution should be determined based on the needs and priorities of the Afghan people.”
Indrika Ratwatte, the Head of the Humanitarian and Development Department of the United Nations and Deputy of UNAMA stated that the United Nations is striving to not only provide humanitarian assistance but also to transform the type of aid into development assistance and identify areas of work and activities.
Also, the two sides, discussed the delivery of aid to the flood-affected families, ensuring the protection of bilateral coordination and existing motivations, and establishing effective technical mechanisms.