India to stand by Afghans: Jaishankar

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar highlighted the threat of poverty in Afghanistan at a high-level UN meet on the humanitarian crisis the country is facing after the Taliban took over mid-August, and said India is willing to stand by Afghans in this hour of need.

Jaishankar made an intervention at the UN High-Level Meeting on the 'Humanitarian Situation in Afghanistan 2021'. After the Taliban blitz over Afghanistan, citizens have been facing a dire threat to their human rights, and essential services in the country - healthcare, medical aid, banking - are facing disruptions.

"India has consistently supported a central role of the United Nations on its future. A multilateral platform is always more effective than small groups in building a global consensus and encouraging united action. We, therefore, believe that the UN Security Council Resolution 2593 should guide the international community's approach in the coming days," Jaishankar said.

He said: "Afghanistan is passing through a critical and challenging phase. There has been a sea change in its political, economic, social and security situation, and consequently, in its humanitarian needs. As an immediate neighbour, India is monitoring developments with understandable concern."

"The UNDP has recently assessed that there is an imminent threat of poverty levels rising from 72 to 97 percent in that country. This would have catastrophic consequences, not just in our collective fight against poverty, but also for regional stability," the EAM said.

"It is important that the issue of travel and safe passage that can emerge as an obstacle to humanitarian assistance be immediately sorted out.