Swiss foreign minister calls for rapid aid to Afghanistan

Swiss Foreign Minister Ignacio Cassis called on the international community to provide rapid, decisive and well-coordinated humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.

Cassis delivered the opening speech at a United Nations donors conference on Monday in the Central Asian country that has come under the control of the Islamist Taliban movement.

The Swiss foreign minister urged the new Afghan leaders, who adhere to a strict interpretation of Sharia (Islamic law) to “ensure the security of humanitarian and development actors”.

Respect for human rights must be ensured, especially the protection of minorities, women and girls, Cassis said, adding that achievements in these areas must be protected.

Many international experts fear that the Taliban will repeat the harsh rule they imposed between 1996 and 2001, the period during which Afghan girls were denied an education.

+ Switzerland intensifies its aid to Afghanistan

The aim of the international meeting in Geneva is to fight hunger in Afghanistan and prevent public life from collapsing.

A meeting with the Yemeni leader

In addition, Cassis met with his Yemeni counterpart Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak in Geneva to discuss the humanitarian situation in Yemen and the prospects for a political solution to the conflict in the Arab nation.

Cassis demanded unfettered access to the civilian population, according to a statement from the State Department.

Conflict erupted in the poorest country on the Arabian Peninsula in 2014. The conflict between the Saudi-backed government and the Houthi rebels, backed by Iran.