Qatar Reaffirms Commitment to Mediation Role in Afghanistan

DID Press: Qatar has reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining an active role in mediation, hosting dialogue and facilitating coordination among parties involved in Afghanistan at a United Nations Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva.

Abdullah bin Ali Behzad, Second Secretary of Qatar’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations Office in Geneva, said his country supports a comprehensive approach that combines humanitarian responses with responsible political engagement to promote security, stability and development in Afghanistan.

He described Afghanistan as facing one of the world’s largest and most complex humanitarian crises, saying nearly 22 million people, or about 45 percent of the country’s population, require humanitarian assistance.

According to Behzad, insecurity, economic fragility, climate change, displacement, declining international aid, the return of millions of migrants, sanctions and the continued freezing of Afghanistan’s assets have further worsened the country’s humanitarian situation.

The Qatari representative also said the risk of food insecurity threatens more than 4.7 million people, including around 3.7 million children.

Behzad added that supporting education, particularly education for children and girls, is among Qatar’s priorities. He said the Qatar Fund for Development and Education Above All Foundation have supported the education of 30,000 students deprived of schooling since 2023.

He also said the Qatar Red Crescent continues to support education in remote areas of Afghanistan and announced the implementation of a project to construct and equip a specialized hospital for women, children and internal medicine, funded by the Qatar Fund for Development.