Two senior UN officials visiting Afghanistan have urged Western countries to maintain constructive engagement with the country to help prevent renewed instability. They said continued engagement and support could contribute to Afghanistan’s security and stability.
Barham Salih, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and Alexander De Croo, head of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), made the remarks during a joint visit to Afghanistan, warning that ignoring the country could carry serious risks.
Speaking to the Associated Press, Salih said experience had shown that ignoring Afghanistan is not the right decision.
He said engagement, support and encouragement of sound policies could help preserve security and stability in Afghanistan.
The UN official warned that renewed instability could lead to increased drug trafficking, extremism, organised crime and further waves of migration and displacement, affecting both the region and the wider world.
The two UN officials said the Taliban’s sweeping restrictions on women and girls, including the ban on girls’ education beyond primary school and limits on women’s employment, remain among the international community’s biggest concerns.
Salih and De Croo said they had raised these issues with Taliban officials and believed continued engagement could encourage reforms and support the development of a more inclusive system.
The officials stressed that disengagement from Afghanistan could impose greater costs on the international community.
“You cannot ignore Afghanistan. What happens in Afghanistan does not necessarily stay in Afghanistan,” Salih said.
The United Nations believes continued international engagement, targeted assistance and efforts to create economic opportunities can help reduce the country’s crises and prevent renewed instability.
While the two officials emphasised economic opportunities and engagement with the Taliban, several Western countries have adopted a pragmatic approach by maintaining contacts with the group through what they describe as technical discussions.
Other governments and Western lawmakers, however, remain concerned that such engagement could legitimise the Taliban, citing the group’s growing restrictions on women and girls.
Return of Millions of Migrants Adds Pressure
After four decades of conflict, Afghanistan continues to face severe economic and humanitarian challenges.
UN officials said nearly six million Afghans have returned from neighbouring countries, particularly Iran and Pakistan, since 2023, with another two million expected to return this year.
The large-scale returns have placed additional pressure on local communities already struggling with poverty, limited resources and food insecurity.
De Croo said: “In Afghanistan, crises rarely arrive one at a time. One crisis is almost always layered on top of another.”
Declining Aid and Economic Challenges
The UN officials also warned about the consequences of declining international assistance.
According to the head of UNDP, 422 health centres have closed across Afghanistan over the past year because of funding shortages, leaving more than three million people without access to basic healthcare.
The World Food Programme has also said that funding cuts have limited its ability to assist many children suffering from severe malnutrition.
Decline in Drug Production
Despite the challenges, the UN officials pointed to some areas of progress.
De Croo said security, anti-corruption efforts and the reduction of drug production had improved in some respects.
He said Afghanistan’s illicit drug production, once among the world’s largest sources of opium and heroin, had fallen by around 95 per cent.
However, he warned that without support for farmers and viable alternative crops, there was a risk that poppy cultivation could return.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the head of UNDP arrived in Kabul on Sunday. During their visit, they travelled to Nangarhar and Mazar-e-Sharif, where they met survivors of the recent earthquake, returning migrants and Afghan women.
