International Development Minister Carolyn Labey described the crisis in the country as ‘heart-breaking’, with almost half of the population assessed as being in need of humanitarian assistance.
Ministerial discussions about how Jersey can help Afghan refugees within its ‘highly constrained Island setting’ are due to take place in the coming days, with UK authorities having already agreed to resettle up to 20,000 people after the country was seized by the Taliban.
JOA said providing support for the country was a ‘complex issue’, as it was difficult to guarantee that it would reach those most in need and not be taken by the Taliban. A decision on how best to respond to the crisis is expected to be made by JOA commissioners next week.
In a statement, the organisation said: ‘There is the complex issue of whether aid inside Afghanistan supports the Taliban. That is always a question for donors helping people in countries with regimes which do not respect human rights, and unlike most donor countries Jersey never provides bilateral assistance to other governments.
‘However, we do have to carefully consider the impact of our aid in a place where some of it may be directed by, or diverted to, the Taliban.’
The organisation is also looking at ways it can support women’s and girls’ education in Afghanistan. It said it had done so in the past, alongside other initiatives that involved healthcare and water infrastructure, and that this might form part of a longer-term strategy.
Despite assertions made by the Taliban that they will respect the rights of women, concerns have been raised for those remaining in the country, with rates of education plummeting for women and girls during the last period the group took power. Earlier this week the regime confirmed that women would not be able to hold ministerial positions within the Taliban government.
The JOA said:‘In the longer term we will examine whether there are still possibilities to support women’s and girls’ education.’
The organisation said the impact of the takeover was not yet known, but that 43 years of conflict and displacement was being compounded by drought, Covid-19 and the onset of winter. And many aid agencies had withdrawn staff, with Afghan and female aid workers in particular left fearing an attack.
The statement added: ‘The final say resides with our minister and commissioners, but it is likely that JOA will devote some resources to addressing humanitarian needs, and that displaced people will be at the forefront of our considerations.’
