China News Agency, United Nations, August 13 (Reporter Madelin) United Nations Secretary-General Guterres addressed the media on the 13th, saying that he was deeply worried about the deterioration of the situation in Afghanistan and called on the Taliban to immediately stop offensive and start dialogue.
Since the U.S. military began to withdraw from Afghanistan on May 1, the Taliban's fighting with the Afghan government forces has become increasingly fierce.
According to media reports, the Taliban have now announced the occupation of 13 capital cities, including Kandahar, the second largest city in Afghanistan, and Herat, the third largest city in Afghanistan.
Guterres said that the situation in Afghanistan is getting out of control, civilian casualties are increasing, the number of displaced people is soaring, hospitals are overcrowded, and medical supplies and food are constantly being consumed.
Roads, bridges, schools, clinics and other critical infrastructure are being destroyed.
Fighting between the Taliban and the Afghan government forces in urban areas caused heavy casualties, and civilians paid the highest price.
Statistics from the United Nations Refugee Agency show that there have been about 400,000 people who have been forcibly displaced in Afghanistan this year.
Since May this year, the number of newly displaced persons has reached nearly 250,000, of which about 80% are women and children.
According to UNICEF, the number of child deaths in Afghanistan has increased significantly in the past four weeks; about half of the country's children under 5 are suffering from acute malnutrition.
Guterres called on all parties to pay attention to the harm to civilians caused by the conflict and called on all parties to take more measures to protect civilians.
He pointed out that all parties in the conflict are obliged to take all measures to protect civilians at the legal and moral levels. Attacks against civilians seriously violate international law and constitute war crimes. The perpetrators must be held accountable.
Guterres pointed out that there are some early signs showing that the Taliban is taking some measures to severely restrict human rights in the areas under its control, especially for women and journalists, which makes him deeply disturbed.
Some reports say that Afghan women are being denied their hard-won rights again, which is especially "frightening and heartbreaking."
Guterres stated that the international community should send a clear signal to those who are on the road of war: the seizure of power by force alone will be a failed plan that can only cause a continuous civil war or lead to the complete isolation of Afghanistan.
Guterres called on the Taliban to immediately stop their offensive and start a dialogue in good faith for the benefit of the Afghan people.
He hopes that the multilateral conference on the peace process in Afghanistan, which is being held in Doha, the capital of Qatar, can resolve the conflict through dialogue and consultation with the support of the region and the wider international community.
"This is the time to stop the offensive, to start serious negotiations, and to avoid a prolonged civil war or the isolation of Afghanistan." Guterres emphasized that only under the leadership of Afghanistan, a political solution reached through dialogue can truly ensure peace. The United Nations will unswervingly support such a plan. He stated that the United Nations will continue to provide assistance to Afghanistan’s increasing humanitarian needs and promote the rights of all Afghans. (Finish)