Hanna Neumann, a member of the European Parliament, has expressed concern over the cessation of U.S. aid to Afghanistan and warned that people in Afghanistan are starving.
Ms. Neumann made these statements in an interview with Deutsche Welle, stating that some families in Afghanistan are forced to marry off their daughters at the age of eight or nine due to poverty, and many women and girls have lost their hope, with some resorting to suicide.
This member of the European Parliament emphasized, “I doubt that Europe can compensate for the gap left by U.S. humanitarian aid in Afghanistan.”
She also referred to the internal conflicts among the leaders of the interim government, suggesting that they might engage in conflicts with each other and even kill one another.
She described the situation in Afghanistan as “terrible” and added that people must take action to change their circumstances, as the impact of external pressure on the current government officials is limited.
Hanna Neumann stated that the current government has led the country down a dangerous path with its “policies.”
With the worsening economic crisis and continued global isolation of the current government, leaders within the administration have criticized each other, with some believing that the policies of Hibatullah Akhundzada, the leader of the current government, are contributing to this situation.
Additionally, Hanna Neumann emphasized the need for increased internal pressure on the current government, stating that this group is indifferent to international pressures, and the impact of external pressures is very limited.
While this member of the European Parliament stresses the importance of upholding the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan, the interim government has prohibited girls above sixth grade from attending school since regaining control over Afghanistan, and subsequently closed universities to girls. In a recent move, they have also banned girls from studying in medical institutes, thereby completely depriving them of access to formal education.
Moreover, women and girls have been barred from going to sports clubs, restaurants, public baths, being examined by male doctors, traveling without a male guardian, working in domestic and international NGOs, and even accessing United Nations offices in Afghanistan.
