Citizens across Afghanistan are hopeful that the upcoming Doha meeting and the appointment of a United Nations special envoy will improve the country’s humanitarian situation. The UN announced that the meeting is scheduled for Feb. 18 and 19 in Doha, convening special envoys from various countries focused on Afghanistan.
The meeting is expected to introduce a special envoy for Afghanistan, tasked with quickly addressing Afghanistan’s crisis.
Zarmina, a resident living with her five daughters and young son, spoke about the harsh living conditions under Taliban rule, marked by poverty, unemployment, and cold days. “We have nothing; I am sick. I am sitting in the corner of the house; we are all unemployed. We don’t know what will happen,” she said.
According to United Nations statistics, more than 29 million people in Afghanistan require humanitarian aid, with millions facing severe hunger threats. Concurrently, international aid to Afghanistan has diminished.
There are expectations that the new UN initiative and the special envoy will address Afghanistan’s humanitarian and economic crises and increase humanitarian aid.
“Poverty and unemployment have increased. We hope the international community and the newly appointed envoy will help Afghanistan emerge from this economic crisis,” said Mahbub, a Kabul resident.
The UN’s vision involves reintegrating Afghanistan into the global community and creating a dialogue platform among Afghan political parties, including women’s participation in governance.
While the Doha meeting on February 18 and 19 is a significant step toward these goals, some believe it will primarily focus on Afghanistan’s humanitarian situation rather than political issues.
“The only result will be economic and humanitarian aid issues and interaction with the Taliban,” said Forozan, a political expert.
The Doha meeting, hosted by the UN Secretary-General, will include Taliban delegates, women activists, and Afghan civil society members. However, the Taliban and some aligned countries have opposed appointing a special envoy.
It is expected that the UN Secretary-General will appoint a special envoy in consultation with various countries, based on the Security Council’s December resolution, to initiate dialogue and a new political development for Afghanistan’s future.
