Italy to host G20 summit on Afghanistan
Members of the G20 will meet today for an ad-hoc summit on the state of affairs in Afghanistan.
Italy, which currently holds the organization’s presidency, called the meeting.The world’s 20 largest economies have become gripped by concerns of a potential migrant crisis fueled by the lack of international aid for Afghanistan, where the UN estimates 18 million aid-reliant civilians live.
Expect Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi to urge the group to release further humanitarian aid in an attempt to prioritize saving civilian lives over pressuring the Taliban government. The Taliban has announced a return to the use of cruel and unusual punishment for criminals and infringements upon women’s rights including barring them from universities. In the long-term, the continuation of such human rights violations will preclude recognition of the fundamentalist regime by the international community and damage Afghanistan’s ability to receive humanitarian aid. However, Europe is likely to prioritize humanitarian aid in order to prevent a refugee crisis as more leaders have expressed their opposition to increased asylum granting. Additionally, the United States recently began allowing NGOs to work in Afghanistan despite the sanctions against the Taliban due to its designation as a global terrorist group.
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