ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan spoke out on Sunday at an international event to raise awareness about the oncoming humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, which is threatening to turn into famine.
The prime minister used his Twitter account to promote the trending hashtag ‘#SaveAfghanLives,’ lending his voice in support of the Afghan people, particularly Afghan children, who are currently enduring economic hardships that are leading to malnutrition and famine-like conditions.
In addition, the prime minister asked citizens to join an international campaign in this area. “I will lend my voice as well, and I hope that people will join an international movement to raise awareness about the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, which is placing millions of Afghans, particularly children, at risk of starving.” The prime minister used the hashtag #SaveAfghanLives.
In a tweet on Saturday, the prime minister urged the international community to send prompt humanitarian assistance to the millions of Afghans who are facing famine. In a previous tweet, the prime minister also emphasised that delivering emergency help to poor Afghanistan was also required under the UN Principle of Responsibility to Protect, which was unanimously agreed (R2P).
“A pillar of R2P is to assist in the protection of people from large-scale humanitarian crises that arise as a result of a lengthy conflict.” Currently, millions of Afghans are on the verge of hunger. “It is the responsibility of the international community to give humanitarian aid,” he added. The prime minister also tagged a storey in the Guardian newspaper in the United Kingdom that contained excerpts from an article written by former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, urging her to help convene a donor conference to raise $4.5 billion (£3.3 billion) for Afghanistan. Brown had warned in his piece that if relief did not arrive, more than 23 million people would face hunger.
“We are witnessing a humiliating but also self-defeating failure to prevent hunger,” the former UK prime minister said, adding that the UK should take the lead in restoring aid delivery, which was abruptly halted after the Taliban established their government.
