Indonesia Provides US$ 3 Million Aid for Afghanistan: Minister of Foreign Affairs

Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno L.P. Marsudi (Photo by: PR/Rahmat)

The safety and lives of the Afghan people is a top priority, Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno L.P. Marsudi has said.

“Indonesia is committed to providing assistance amounting to US$ 3 million to Afghan people through trusted local partners,” Retno said on a virtual UN High-level Ministerial Meeting on the Humanitarian Situation in Afghanistan, Monday (13/09).

Of the total aid, US$150 thousand is allocated for humanitarian aid in emergency situations and US$2.85 million is allocated to support development in Afghanistan over the next three years, especially in the health, education, women’s empowerment, and mining sectors.

Retno further said that the international community has the responsibility to ensure the assistance is quickly and smoothly delivered to the people of Afghanistan. She added that international solidarity built at the meeting is a good momentum to encourage a positive leap for the achievement of sustainable peace in Afghanistan.

The Minister also stressed the importance of an inclusive government, human rights protection. and efforts to prevent the spread of terrorism in Afghanistan in order to create a safe country as well as to restore the trust of the international community.

Indonesia continues to be committed to supporting the restoration and rebuilding of Afghanistan. To date, Indonesia has delivered US$ 10 million aid to Afghanistan through trilateral cooperation program and capacity building in the sector of MSMEs, women’s empowerment, good governance, and natural resource management in Afghanistan.

The meeting was convened by the UN Secretary-General António Guterres and was attended by ministerial-level officials from all UN member countries and international organizations. During the meeting, the Secretary-General called on the international community to support humanitarian operation that needs US$ 606 million for approximately 11 million people in Afghanistan who are in need of emergency assistance. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs PR/UN) (GWH/MMB)