France Urges Taliban to Stop Hindering Aid WorkFrance has expressed its deep concern over difficulties of aid workers in Afghanistan and called on the Taliban to stop hindering the actions of the agencies and humanitarian NGOs, according to the News Network International (NNI) on Friday, September 7."The trial in Kabul of several Afghan and foreign members of the NGO Shelter Now International (SNI) reflects the increasingly difficult climate in which the NGOs are forced to work in Afghanistan," a statement by the French Embassy in Islamabad quoted French Foreign Ministry spokesman as saying. "Whereas the objective of the NGOs is to alleviate the suffering of people affected by the continuing fighting, they face growing hostility from the Taliban authorities. This hindrance to their action is helping to exacerbate an already catastrophic situation," the spokesman said. He reaffirmed French conviction that only the return to peace will improve the human rights situation in Afghanistan in a lasting way. "It is pursuing its action to that end in the United Nations and through its contacts with all the states in the region ". |
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