KABUL, Afghanistan — Tom Fletcher, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, visited Kandahar, the Taliban’s seat of power, where he said he had a two-hour meeting with Taliban governor Mullah Shirin, a close aide to Hibatullah Akhundzada.
The UN’s humanitarian office, OCHA, said Fletcher visited the province for high-level meetings and firsthand assessments of Afghanistan’s deepening humanitarian crisis.
In a statement, OCHA said Fletcher met with Taliban provincial governor Mullah Shirin Akhund, a close associate of Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. Foreign envoys frequently meet with Mullah Shirin, as the reclusive Taliban leader has refused all international meetings.
“The urgency of addressing the ongoing humanitarian crisis, particularly amid the return of large numbers of Afghan migrants from Pakistan, was a central focus of the meeting,” OCHA said.
In a post on X, Fletcher wrote: “In Kandahar, I had two hours of genuine dialogue with [the] de facto governor. Then met returnees — families separated, children arriving alone. Toured hospital hit hard by aid cuts. And thanked humanitarians, especially women, delivering despite challenges.”
Fletcher also visited the UN returnee reception center and Mirwais Regional Hospital in Kandahar, one of several facilities struggling to operate under significant funding shortfalls.
The visit comes as the U.N. is developing its new “Mosaic Plan” for Afghanistan, which aims to consolidate the views of key stakeholders — including countries involved in Afghanistan and the Taliban — on six major issues: human rights, inclusive governance, counterterrorism, sanctions on the Taliban, frozen Afghan assets, and the future of diplomatic representation.
Sources told Amu that the U.N. has asked each country to submit views on each of the six issues. While a substantial number of inputs have been collected, the process of categorizing and integrating them into the draft plan is still ongoing.
The Mosaic Plan is seen as the latest effort by the U.N. to break the political deadlock and address the worsening humanitarian and human rights crisis in Afghanistan.
