Amir Saeed Iravani made the remarks in the Tuesday session of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) during which he said the current condition of Afghanistan is challenging, despite UN efforts.
Referring to the latest UN report concerning Afghanistan, Iravani said the report shows that the humanitarian aid requirements for the Afghans in 2023 will be more than they were in 2022 and 2021.
Regarding the economic situation, the Secretary General's report states that the Afghan rulers have taken positive steps so far, including efforts to fight corruption, which can be the basis for a stable economic situation and its revival in the coming years, the Iranian UN envoy said.
Iravani also noted that while humanitarian aid is vital for Afghanistan, it is not a long-term solution, and developing the country's economy should be prioritized.
He further pointed out that if the revival of Afghanistan's economy becomes conditional or politicized, the Afghan people will suffer. He also called for considering the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan as well.
“As we have emphasized many times, the (Afghanistan) frozen assets belong to the people (of Afghanistan) and should be returned unconditionally to help the Afghan economy," the Iranian envoy added.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Iravani slammed the fact that the US is continuing to illegally freeze the assets of Afghan people instead of accepting responsibility for its irresponsible withdrawal from Afghanistan. However, sanctions regimes should not hinder efforts to rebuild the economy, he stressed.
Iravani added that Iran supports the efforts of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), especially in the field of increasing humanitarian responses and efforts to end the economic problems.
Iran has used its expertise and capacities to help the Afghan people overcome their problems as a neighbor that hosts millions of Afghans, he added.
Saying that Iran has generously hosted and provided the necessary assistance to the Afghan people for more than 40 years, despite the little support of the international community and the inhuman sanctions of the United States, Iravani cited that Iran provides free education and training for all Afghan students residing in Iran.
"According to estimates, Iran should provide a subsidy of one billion dollars annually to host and shelter 5 million Afghans," the Iranian UN ambassador added.
"We have said many times that Iran and other neighbors should not take all the responsibility of accepting Afghan refugees. Based on the principle of shared responsibility, other countries, especially countries that claim to protect the human rights of Afghan people, especially women and girls, should accept refugees," Iravani emphasized.
Referring to the presence of ISIL terrorists in Afghanistan, the Iranian ambassador said, “We want to emphasize once again the serious threat that the presence of ISIL and Al-Qaeda-affiliated groups in Afghanistan poses to the peace and security of Afghanistan, its neighbors, and the entire region."
Iravani considered the drug trafficking issue as another major problem in Afghanistan and added that the recent report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime is alarming. According to this report, opium cultivation has increased by 32% compared to last year since the Taliban took over Afghanistan.
The Iranian senior diplomat emphasized that if the international community does not continue to support Afghanistan's economic recovery, the current situation will turn into a vulnerable environment in which extremists, terrorists, and drug traffickers will be able to use vulnerable people for promoting terrorist intentions.
SKH/FNA14010930000048
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