UN announces high-level humanitarian meet on Afghanistan on Sept 13 amid refugee crisis

Anguished by the refugee crisis in Afghanistan, UN chief Antonio Guterres on Friday, announced that he will convene a high-level humanitarian conference for Afghanistan on 13 September to advocate for a swift scale-up in funding & full, unimpeded access to those in need. While the US has completed its evacuation process and withdrawn completely from Afghanistan, many Afghans seek to leave the country as the Taliban finalises the new government formation. Nearly 130,000 were airlifted out of Afghanistan by US of which many are still in transit, undergoing security vetting and screening in other countries, including Germany, Spain, Kuwait and Qatar.

UN convenes Afghanistan conference

US evacuation from Afghanistan

While US evacuated over 130,000 Afghans from Kabul, only 40,000 have arrived in the US so far. The US is expected to admit at least 50,000 Afghans more as countries like India and Pakistan hold talks with the Taliban to evacuate its nationals. In principle, the Taliban has agreed to let foreign nationals leave Afghanistan via Kabul airport which is now under the terror group's countrol. But it has refused to let Afghanistan nationals leave the nation, as many Afghans who helped the US forces, Afghan Army and other armies seek to leave the nation. While protests have sprung across Afghanistan against the Taliban, many locals are afraid to leave their houses as the Taliban held a victory parade featuring their weapons, advanced military equipment, explosives, vehicles, and helicopters -  most of which were either seized from the Afghan troops, the US military or procured from affiliated terrorist organizations.

Taliban Takeover

The Taliban took over Kabul on August 15 after major cities like Kandahar, Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif, Jalalabad and Lashkar Gah fell without resistance as US troops retreat after 20 years from war-torn Afghanistan. The hasty withdrawal of the US troops saw thousands of people attempting to flee from Afghanistan with several clinging to a departing US plane's wheels, leading to them falling to their deaths.  The Taliban has finalised its talks for 'peaceful transition' as Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar gears up to lead the new government with Mullah Mohammad Omar's son Mullah Yakub and Abbas Stanekzai pipped to be in his cabinet.

With US completing the evacuation of its nationals and leaving Kabul on August 31, US President Joe Biden has defended the troops' withdrawal, blaming Afghan govt and troops of not putting up a fight. While ex-President Ashraf Ghani has fled to UAE, his vice-president - Amrullah Saleh has annointed himself as 'legitimate caretaker President' of Afghanistan and is in Panjshir, heading the Northern Resistance along with Ahmad Massoud, battling the Taliban often claiming massive Taliban casualties. While the Taliban has urged the alliance to 'surrender peacefully', it has cut off the province's electricity and internet and laid a siege by blowing up bridges connecting the province.