'Taliban continues providing required facilities to aid agencies'

Kabul, Nov 24 (IANS) The Taliban-led government in Afghanistan has continued to provide all required facilities and convenience to local and international aid agencies cross the government, a senior official said.

Maulvi Abdul Kabir, acting Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs, made the remarks during a meeting with a visiting delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Xinhua news agency quoted an official statement as saying.

He said that the caretaker government would provide all required facilities for all Afghanistan-based charity groups, including the ICRC, and non-governmental organisations, the statement said.

Visiting ICRC Director of Operations Dominik Stillhart said during the meeting that the agency did not leave Afghanistan during the recent political changes and has continued its operation throughout the country.

The ICRC has good cooperation and relations with the Afghan Public Health Ministry, the Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) and other government-run agencies and related institutions, and the ICRC will continue to further speed up service supplying process in Afghanistan, Stillhart was quoted as saying in the statement.

"We will continue expanding our operation and providing humanitarian aid based on our commitment to the people of Afghanistan," he said.

Kabir thanked the ICRC's continued cooperation with the Afghans particularly at the time when the people badly need humanitarian aid ahead of winter, according to the statement.

Cut off from most sources of international aid that had sustained Afghanistan for 20 years, the country is on the verge of economic collapse and faces the spectre of famine and a humanitarian crisis.

The situation has worsened since the Taliban takeover in August.