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NEW YORK CITY: Saudi Arabia has once again called for an immediate end to military operations in Gaza, as the Kingdoms ambassador to the UN issued a rallying cry for collective international efforts to end the humanitarian catastrophe in the territory. Addressing a meeting of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Albulaziz Alwasil painted a bleak picture of defenseless civilians facing relentless brutality, the destruction of vital infrastructure including health centers and places of worship, and the alarming loss of innocent lives, including thousands of women, children and elderly people. He said his country is sparing no effort in its attempts to safeguard civilians in Gaza and provide them with aid. Its commitment to providing humanitarian assistance by air and sea, and the launch of major fundraising campaigns that have raised more than SR500 million ($133 million), underscore the Kingdoms dedication to alleviating the suffering of Palestinian civilians, he added. On Nov. 11, Riyadh hosted an extraordinary joint Islamic and Arab summit to discuss the escalating war, during which the participants adopted a resolution that stated they unequivocally reject the Israeli aggression against Gaza. It also condemned the displacement of Palestinians, attacks on hospitals, and the overall violence in the region. It emphasized the immediate need for food, medicine and fuel in Gaza and called for humanitarian aid convoys to be granted access to the territory as a matter of urgency. It urged the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the League of Arab States to adopt an official position in opposition to the aggression in Gaza, and called for increased pressure in an effort to establish a serious political process designed to achieve a comprehensive and just peace in line with the principles of international law. Alwasil welcomed the humanitarian pause that began on Friday and was initiated by efforts by Qatar, Egypt and the US, while calling for it to become a complete halt to military operations. He also stressed the importance of releasing all hostages and prisoners, and reiterated the need to implement all relevant UN Security Council resolutions and General Assembly mandates without conditions. Alwasil said the Israeli occupation forces must be held accountable for their actions, denounced the use of weapons prohibited by international conventions, and condemned the annexation of settlements in the West Bank. He also criticized those responsible for repeated incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque, which he described as grave violations of international law and provocations that cause tensions to rise and disrupt peace efforts. We call upon the international community to hold the Israeli occupation forces accountable for these inhumane crimes, which are tantamount to a blatant violation of international humanitarian law, said Alwasil. We warn against double standards and selectivity, and not committing to UN laws and resolutions. This has serious consequences that go beyond this crisis and undermine the legitimacy of the global order, which in turn reflects negatively on our ability to maintain international peace and security. Alwasil reiterated Saudi Arabias unwavering belief in a two-state solution as the key to stability and security for Palestine. He added that there is a need for the Israeli occupation forces to heed the calls for peace, namely the Arab Peace Initiative, and to engage in serious negotiations in good faith to achieve peace based on the two-state solution. This would allow us to achieve security and stability in this vital region of the world.

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The German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development confirmed to German public broadcaster Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) last week that four local Afghan employees of the German government aid organization Gesellschaft fr Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) office in Afghanistan have been arrested by the Taliban-backed Afghan government.

According to a confidential EU security report obtained by WDR on Thursday, one employee, detained in early November, was arrested and is still being held in custody. Ten days later, two other Afghan employees of GIZ were arrested at Kabul International Airport attempting to travel to Dubai. The two employees detained at the airport are also alleged to still be in custody, along with their cellphones and laptops. WDR claims that it verified on-the-ground information that a fourth employee was arrested. All four employees are alleged to have worked in risk management for GIZ and have been accused by the Taliban of espionage. The arrests come less than a month after another wave of four arrests of GIZ employees in October, who have all since been released according to WDR.

In a statement to the Associated Press (AP), a Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development spokesperson wrote:

I can confirm that the local employees of GIZ are in custody although we have not received any official information on why they are detained. We are taking this situation very seriously and are working through all channels available to us to ensure that our colleagues are released.

The security of local staff for German aid organizations has been a continuing concern since the US pulled out of Afghanistan in 2021, leading to the Taliban takeover of the Afghan government. GIZ released a statement in January 2022 that it was continuing to attempt to evacuate local staff and their families, claiming that GIZ provided for the evacuation of 5,000 Afghans. However, concerns have been raised as to how effective the German governments response has been, leading Germanys legislature, the Bundestag, to establish the 1st Committee of Inquiry (Afghanistan) and the Study Commission on Afghanistan to investigate the German governments response to the Taliban takeover for both German- and locally-employed staff of German governmental organizations. Both committees have yet to publish their conclusions. While GIZ has remained open, other German government agencies in Afghanistan, including the German Embassy, have closed. The closure of the German Embassy creates a large obstacle for German aid organization employees, asthey may need to travel outside the country to apply for German visas.

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights bars the arbitrary detention of civilians, including civilian aid workers. Both Afghanistan and Germany are signatories. Article 71(2) of Additional Protocol I of the Geneva Conventions also grants special protections to aid workers in times of conflict, stating that Where necessary, relief personnel may form part of the assistance provided in any relief action such personnel shall be respected and protected. Aid workers are also protected under Article 8(2)(b)(iii) of the Rome Statute, which has also been ratified by both Germany and Afghanistan.

Human rights have been deteriorating in Afghanistan since the end of the US-Afghan War, according to the UN and multiple human rights groups. Women have beenbannedfrom practicing law,attending universityandriding public transportationwithout a male chaperone. Additionally, rates ofpoverty, deaths by IEDs, drug trafficking and deaths by suicidehave skyrocketed, as the economy has collapsed under the weight of Taliban rule and global sanctions,according to UN experts.

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Afghanistan is facing the worlds largest humanitarian crisis. The Afghan people are entangled in conflict, drought, extreme poverty, human rights violationespecially for women and girlsand two devastating earthquakes.

The Taliban continues to oppress Afghan women and girls, depriving them of their rights, says Sharon Butler, Director of Strategic Engagement and Partnerships from MOSAIC, one of BCs largest settlement and employment services organization supporting immigrants and refugees. They are not allowed to work or own businesses. Girls as young as seven years old are being taken out of school and not allowed an education. They need your help.

MOSAIC is working tirelessly to bring to safety some of the millions of Afghan people who have been forcibly displaced and live in daily fear for their lives. The organization has been sponsoring Afghan refugees since 2021 and aims to sponsor around 700 peopleincluding families, women and children, and single refugee womenthrough its Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program.

So far, the program has brought 82 Afghan refugees to Canadamany of whom supported Canadas peacekeeping efforts in the country before the Taliban takeover.

Seeking asylum and a safe life for their families, refugees are pleading for help from around the world, Butler says. MOSAIC is a leader in this Canadian effort, working to sponsor refugee families and help bring them to safety. If we dont help, these families can face up to ten years of waiting or further deportation.

But the costs are hefty. It takes $35,000to support a family of four or $20,000for an individual, and funding for the project will close by the end of 2024. MOSAIC is seeking financial contributions to continue its work.

Your giving saves lives and brings hope to refugees, Butler says. Everyone deserves a safe life and a place to call home.

People in British Columbia can donate to help in the sponsorship process through MOSAIC. When families arrive to Canada, we refer them to settlement agencies and any other resources that are relevant and available to them, Sherman Chan, Director of Family and Settlement from MOSAIC says. We develop a settlement plan with them for a year and ensure access to English classes, employment support

, further education, and trauma counselling when needed, all while making sure they are getting to know their community.

Please scan the QR code to donate or visit mosaicbc.org/donate-now

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STORY: Afghanistan to build 285 health centers nationwideSHOOTING TIME: Nov. 26, 2023DATELINE: Nov. 27, 2023LENGTH: 00:01:23LOCATION: KabulCATEGORY: HEALTHSHOTLIST:1. various of the rural area and a health center in north Afghanistan's Sari Pul ProvinceSTORYLINE:Afghan authorities will build at least 285 health centers in several provinces of Afghanistan, local TOLOnews TV channel on Saturday quoted the country's top health official as saying. Qalandar Ibad, acting minister of public health, said the ministry is urging trained and professional doctors abroad to come back to their homeland amid a shortage of medics, the media outlet reported. The official also noted that 45,000 medical beds are needed to treat patients across the country, when the number of medical beds is less than 30 percent of the expected quantity. According to a plan released by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 14 million people in Afghanistan, including 7.5 million children and 3.1 million women, are currently targeted for health assistance by the organization.Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Kabul.(XHTV)

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On October 1, 2023, the ousted Afghan government of President Ashraf Ghani closed its embassy in India, weeks ahead of the arrival in Kabul of the Chinese Ambassador to Taliban-led Afghanistan. The vacuum left by the United States withdrawal from Afghanistan is growing in significance as China strives to increase its presence in the face of Indias wait and watch approach. In the wake of these developments, Afghanistan can either turn out to be a ground for confrontation or cooperation between China and India. Instability in Afghanistan and the resurgence of terrorism is a collective security threat to both India and China, therefore, cooperation through regional platforms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) can best serve the interest of both the states.

Instability in Afghanistan and the resurgence of terrorism is a collective security threat to both India and China, therefore, cooperation through regional platforms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) can best serve the interest of both the states.

Two Years of Taliban Rule Has Consequences for Regional Stability:

On August 6, 2021, the Taliban took charge of governance in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of the United States. Ever since, the question of whether to recognize the Taliban regime has posed a challenge for the international community. For many in the international community, the Afghan Taliban is considered a violent non-state actor that established de-facto control over the region for the second time. During the regimes first tenure in the 1990s, their orthodox policies brought them a great deal of criticism on the grounds of womens rights and human security. With their return to power in 2021, the Taliban has still resorted to the same approach of brutally enforcing their version of shariah.

After more than two years of Taliban rule, militant groups have resurged on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, leading to a new wave of terrorism. This naturally poses a grave threat to regional stability and is thus a concern for India and China as regional stakeholders. Because India and China have vested stakes in the stability of Afghanistan and the region, both states have an incentive to put aside geopolitical competition to coordinate with each other to build stability in Afghanistan.

Chinas Growing Stakes in Afghanistan:

Afghanistan is significant for China for three main reasons. Following the U.S. withdrawal, China has sought influence in Afghanistan to compete with U.S. dominance in the existing global order. Both states vie for regional actors trust, to keep them out of each others influence. Before Kabuls fall, Chinese officials invited the Taliban to Tianjin, signaling a willingness to engage. Given Afghanistanschallenge to the U.S. and NATO, China has opted for caution to dodge excessive responsibility. Espousing the Afghan-led, Afghan-owned principle, China maintains a principle of non-intervention in Afghanistans domestic affairs.

Nevertheless, China has maintained its footprint in Afghanistan by providing aid and deepening economic ties. In September 2021, China sent $31 million in aid to Afghanistan and 3 million COVID-19 vaccine doses. In January 2023, the Taliban regime signed an oil-extraction deal with a Chinese company Central Asia Petroleum and Gas Co (CAPEIC), worth $150 million/year with the potential to create 3,000 jobs. The Taliban regime has also signed seven agreements with China, worth $6.5 billion, for the extraction of gold, iron ore, zinc and lead.

On May 5, 2023 China, Pakistan, and the Taliban agreed to admit Afghanistan into the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). This move, owing to Afghanistans strategic location, offers China a direct route to economic integration in Iran and Central Asia. However, recent terrorist attacks on Chinese-owned infrastructure in Pakistan underlie the risks of an unstable Afghanistan to the BRIs key project, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)). This rise in Chinas economic sway in Afghanistan contests Indias regional standing.

Finally, China views the potential for extremist activity penetrating from border states like Afghanistan as a major security concern, particularly affecting its Muslim minority in Xinjiang. Chinas authoritarian regime perceives the alleged vulnerability of Xinjiangs Muslim population as a threat, making a stable Afghanistan crucial. Thus, China maintains a cautious approach to collaboration with the Taliban, declaring that it never interferes in Afghanistans internal affairs, never seeks selfish interests in Afghanistan, and never pursues so-called sphere of influence.

What Does This Mean for India?

Indias approach towards Afghanistan balances the expectations of Western allies in addition to its own regional considerations. Indias primary considerations with respect to Afghanistan are to contain the spread of terrorism and prevent a pro-Pakistani regime in Afghanistan. Now that the Taliban, which India perceives as a proxy of Pakistan, is in power, India must decide what level of engagement it should have with the de facto government while balancing its concerns over historic terror group connections the Taliban maintains. However, Indias geopolitical relationships with Western nations and principles of democracy and human rights hinder its recognition of the Taliban, unlike China.

Indias approach to dealing with the Taliban emphasizes promoting peace without direct involvement. Initially, India supported the UNSCs Resolution 2593 and the double-peace initiative. The double-peace initiative proposed two steps towards peace in Afghanistan: internal dialogue and external dialogue. Resolution 2593 condemned the Kabul Airport attack and highlighted the urgency of aid in Afghanistan, but China abstained from supporting it. Immediately after the fall of Kabul, India launched Operation Devi Shakti to evacuate Indians and maintained embassy operations, which facilitated the successful Emergency-X-Misc visa policy that introduced quick e-visas to migrants.

India maintains a line of communication with the Taliban, and also continued to provide aid to Afghans through infrastructure, education, capacity building, and community development. In 2022, India dispatched a technical mission to Afghanistan to assess the situation on the ground and suggest policy measures. Since then, India provided over 80 million pounds of wheat, almost 150 thousand pounds of pharmaceuticals, 500,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses, and 13 batches of medical supplies. The extent of active investment from India indicates that Afghanistan is of critical importance to the country and its competition with Chinese influence. Nevertheless, the two states can find a ground to cooperate over matters of mutual interest.

Keeping in view the persistent stakes of both India and China in Afghanistan, the closure of the Afghan Embassy in India challenges Indias wait and watch policy. However, if India revives the operation of the Afghan Embassy on its soil to provide aid and compete with Chinas influence on the country, it cannot do so without recognizing the Taliban regime. While recognizing the Taliban entails the burden of recognizing their ties to terrorist groups and their harsh treatment of women, silence could damage India-Afghanistan relations and erode the Afghan peoples trust in India- enabling China to replace it as the supportive regional power.

If India revives the operation of the Afghan Embassy on its soil to provide aid and compete with Chinas influence on the country, it cannot do so without recognizing the Taliban regime

Contest or Collaboration?

Since India and China hold a shared interest in countering terrorism and promoting regional stability, cooperation is a preferable option for both states. If both develop a collaborative approach towards Afghanistan, they can prevent the country from further fragmentation. India should cooperate with China in Afghanistan by using regional platforms, like the SCO, to forge consensus over terrorism and instability in Afghanistan as a collective security threat.

The arrival of the Chinese ambassador in Afghanistan in September 2023 ended the question of Chinas recognition of the Taliban regime. For India, however, the dilemma persists. With the termination of the Afghan mission in India that had been in place since the tenure of Ashraf-Ghani, India is once again in a catch-22.

If India prioritizes humanitarianism over restoring diplomatic relations, China is likely to have an uncontested space to advance its influence in the region. Chinas influence in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Maldives has already challenged Indias regional dominance. Gaining a foothold in Afghanistan will not only allow China to influence Indias relationship with Afghanistan, but also with Iran and Central Asian states. Therefore, Indian officials ought to coordinate with Chinese officials to build stability in Afghanistan since it would best serve the respective interests of both India and China.

Also Read:Two Years After Taliban Takeover: What is Indias Afghanistan Policy?

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Image 1: Afghanistan flag via Flickr

Image 2: PM Modi with former President Ghani via Wikimedia Commons

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Afghanistan's Fate in the Balance: China and India's Quest for ... - South Asian Voices