United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) on Wednesday that much of Afghanistan’s population is “hanging by a thread” after the brutal Taliban takeover – and then asked member nations to lift sanctions on the very same Taliban in order to “facilitate humanitarian aid.”
“We need to give financial institutions and commercial partners legal assurance that they can work with humanitarian operators without fear of breaching sanctions,” Guterres said. “At this moment, we need the global community – and this Council – to put their hands on the wheel of progress, provide resources, and prevent Afghanistan from spiraling any further.
“As a matter of moral responsibility – and regional and global security and prosperity – we cannot abandon the people of Afghanistan. Afghans need peace, hope, and help, and they need it now,” he concluded.
Guterres also had a message for the Taliban: “The window for trust-building is open. But this trust must be earned,” Guterres warned the Taliban, who must be quaking in their boots.