The United States felt that international aid to Afghanistan needed to be reassessed, despite the severe humanitarian crisis the country is experiencing, due to the attitude of the Taliban and the restrictions imposed on women's rights.
Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting, US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz referred to what he called a "humanitarian catastrophe" in Afghanistan, while also highlighting the difficulties of cooperating with Taliban authorities.
According to him, the "intransigence" of the regime in power, particularly regarding fundamental rights, obliges the international community to closely examine the effectiveness of international aid and engagement in the country.
The American diplomat also drew attention to the budget of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), which is due for renewal soon. He indicated that this mission has the largest budget among the UN's special political missions.
Mike Waltz notably denounced the restrictions imposed by the Taliban on women, pointing out that Afghan employees of the UN mission could not even go to their workplace.
The US statements come as Afghanistan faces multiple crises, including widespread poverty, natural disasters, and limited access to basic services for a large part of the population.
