Qatar Says It Will Continue Active Role in Afghanistan at UN Rights Council
Qatar’s representative at the 63rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council said the country would continue its active role as an international partner in Afghanistan, as what he described as the humanitarian crisis there continues to leave millions in need of assistance.
Abdullah bin Ali Behzad, the deputy head of Qatar’s permanent mission in Geneva, said on Monday, Sept. 6, that Doha is working through mediation and by hosting Afghanistan-related meetings to build consensus and international coordination.
He said nearly 22 million people in Afghanistan need humanitarian assistance. According to him, insecurity, the economic crisis, climate change, displacement and reduced global aid have worsened the situation in Afghanistan.
Behzad added that more than 4.7 million people, including 3.7 million children, are at severe risk of food insecurity. He described children’s and girls’ education as one of Qatar’s priorities and said the country has supported hundreds of Afghan children.
He also said the Qatar Fund for Development and the “Educate A Child” foundation have supported the education of 30,000 out-of-school students since 2023. According to him, Qatar Red Crescent has also been active in the education sector in remote areas of Afghanistan since 2016.
The Qatari representative said in conclusion that Qatar Charity, with financial support from the Qatar Fund for Development, is implementing a project to build and equip a specialist hospital for women and children in Afghanistan.
The United Nations Human Rights Council is one of the UN’s main bodies for reviewing the human rights situation in different countries, and Afghanistan has in recent years been a regular subject of discussion in the council because of the humanitarian crisis and sweeping restrictions.
