Taliban asks Christians to support construction of 25 settlements for refugees
The Taliban officially requested assistance from the Catholic Relief Services to support development programs related to the construction of 25 refugee settlements.
In a significant development in Afghanistan’s international relations and internal affairs, the Taliban government’s acting Minister of Economy, Din Mohammad Hanif, in an official meeting with senior officials of the Catholic Relief Services (CRS), has requested the Christian organization’s participation in Afghanistan’s development programs. This request includes supporting the plan to build “25 settlements for refugees,” which the Taliban have declared one of their priorities.
In this meeting, which was held in Kabul, the Taliban's acting Minister of Economy, while discussing the continuation of humanitarian aid, emphasized the need for CRS's participation in infrastructure and development projects and called on this organization to cooperate in improving living conditions and creating basic facilities in these settlements, in addition to humanitarian services.
The Taliban have said that these settlements should be equipped with safe drinking water, health centers, schools, and other essential facilities, and have asked CRS to actively participate in the planning and implementation of these projects.
According to published reports, the Taliban Ministry of Economy has announced that the problems of migrants and returnees are one of the government's priorities, and providing appropriate infrastructure in their resettlement areas is among the issues that require the cooperation of international organizations.
This official request for assistance comes as independent reports indicate that the Taliban government has exercised significant control and influence over relief activities and has imposed restrictions on the work of aid agencies, including a ban on women working in some relief programs, which has caused much aid to be suspended or carried out under difficult conditions.
At the international level, various institutions, including the United Nations and some countries, have pointed to the increasing refugee crisis and the widespread need for humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan. According to previous reports, the World Bank and humanitarian agencies have allocated a significant amount of money to address the problems of refugees and the needy in Afghanistan in recent years.
Although this visit and request for help from a Christian organization could be seen as a sign of the Taliban’s efforts to attract international support and improve its image on the global stage, the human rights situation inside Afghanistan remains critical. Numerous reports by human rights organizations and independent media have shown that the Taliban government is severely repressive against the rights of women, religious minorities, and other vulnerable groups, and restricts civil and religious freedoms.
Meanwhile, the repression of Christians, particularly members of Persian-speaking Christian communities, continues in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Numerous human rights reports, including by independent international groups, have shown that Christians in Iran face severe restrictions on religious freedom, arbitrary detentions, and pressure on minority communities, an issue that has been repeatedly criticized by human rights organizations.
These events in two neighboring countries, namely the Taliban's request for a Christian institution to help with development programs and the continued repression of Christians and other minorities in Iran, present a different but simultaneous picture of the state of religious freedom and engagement with international communities, one in an effort to gain legitimacy and international support, and the other in a path of intensifying restrictions and repression.
