Rina Amiri, an Afghan-born American who worked under the Obama administration, will become President Joe Biden’s special envoy for Afghan women and girls’ rights and human rights in Afghanistan, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced.
In a statement, Blinken noted that Amiri “as a special envoy, will work on a series of issues sensitive to me, the US administration, and US national security: the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women, girls, and other diverse populations at risk.”
About six months after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, Blinken noted that the United States wants “a peaceful, stable and secure Afghanistan, where all Afghans can live in prosperity.”
pledges and facts
In their quest for international recognition, the Taliban pledged to govern in a less restrictive manner than during their first term (1996-2001). But women are still largely excluded from public service and secondary education.
In addition, the Taliban issued recommendations requiring drivers not to allow women to ride long distances in cars unless accompanied by a male.
In response to a question about Amiri’s appointment, the official spokesman for the Taliban’s political office, Muhammad Naim, told AFP, “Strangers cannot heal the wounds of our people. If they were able to do so, they would have done it in the past twenty years.”
Naim refused to link aid to human rights, saying, “We want unconditional aid to our people in light of our Islamic values and national interests.”
And the world’s leading donors have long indicated that respecting women’s rights is a condition for re-delivery of aid.
The United Nations has warned that Afghanistan is facing a “growing wave of hunger” that will strike this winter, noting that 22 million Afghans will face “acute” food shortages.
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