“Human rights mean the right to good health, a dignified life, and respect for the will of everyday people.”
Denia Castillo is a land rights activist with MASSVIDA, Honduras.
A group of nations led by the US destroyed the autocratic Taliban in Afghanistan as a reaction to 9/11. However, the US pulled its troops in 2021 after nearly 20 years of unsuccessful attempts to install a stable, competent government, and the Taliban quickly retook control of the nation. The nation has been dealing with a worsening humanitarian crisis for the past two years. In 2023, an estimated 30 million people, or 70% of the population, needed humanitarian assistance. This situation was made worse by the powerful earthquakes that occurred in October and Pakistan’s intentions to repatriate up to 1.3 million Afghans who were living in the country illegally. The USA has played a key role in Afghanistan since its invasion in 2001. Although all US troops have left, the country still has an interest in a stable Afghanistan.
Furthermore, under Taliban rule, human and women’s rights have steadily declined, which has further harmed the country’s economy. And that’s why the security council is here today.
Trying to make human rights better in Afghanistan, the delegation of the United Nations stated, “Negotiating with the leaders of Afghanistan and the Taliban is the key.”
After hearing this statement, I was slightly confused. Can we negotiate with a group of terrorists that is known to not follow laws or a call of action from any country in the world like the USA has tried before?
“If we want to ensure that the people in Afghanistan have human rights, we need to first take care of aid, and then we can take care of the rest.” added the delegation from the UK.
So, if I fully understand, we need to first send aid to the people in there, and then we can take care of their rights.
But if we do so, how can anyone believe that once the human rights problem in Afghanistan is fixed, no one will try again to take the ropes to their hands and do the same thing as the Taliban?
The USA has done so before and, for 20 years, spent so much money and resources trying to help.
If the UN managed to pull the Taliban out of Afghanistan as they managed before slightly, would the situation change? Or would the people of Afghanistan have a better life after suffering for so many years?
Is it even possible?
For the sake of the people in Afghanistan, I’d set my full support on the UN and the Security Council to find a way to fix this. Because this is not a life anyone should live.
Adi Esther Lahmi, Press Director
