The Diplomat
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, yesterday, during his participation in the extraordinary G20 summit on Afghanistan, called for continued support for the Afghan population, according to Moncloa.
During the virtual meeting, the leaders discussed humanitarian aid for the Afghan population, security from the angle of terrorism and drug trafficking, the security of the Afghan population, evacuation plans and collaboration with neighbouring countries.
Sánchez insisted that Spain “has been and will continue to be at the side of the Afghan population” and that the immediate priorities are “to make progress in evacuation efforts, guarantee humanitarian assistance and respect for the human rights of all Afghans, especially women and girls”.
Spain is one of the countries promoting the UN Human Rights Council resolution on respect for the rights of Afghan women and girls that was approved in August 2021. Spain repatriated 2,206 people in the first phase of the evacuation operation and has temporarily taken in hundreds of Afghans who worked with Spain and with partners and allies.
A few days ago, Spain began the second phase of the evacuation of Afghans, in this case via Pakistan. The arrival of a plane carrying 84 people in Torrejón de Ardoz on Monday was followed yesterday by the arrival of another aircraft carrying another 160 Afghan collaborators and their families.
Sánchez stressed in his speech at the G20: “We are determined to evacuate all our Afghan ex-collaborators at risk. We will leave no one behind.
In addition to continuing with the evacuation, the Spanish government has pledged 20 million euros through the United Nations with the aim of reaching the entire population and contributing to the provision of basic services.
