The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Australia marked five years since the fall of Kabul by reaffirming its commitment to the Afghan people, condemning the Taliban’s treatment of women and girls and pledging to continue humanitarian assistance and efforts to hold them accountable.
In a joint statement issued by Prime Minister Anthony
Albanese, Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles, Foreign
Minister Penny Wong and Immigration Minister Tony Burke, the Australian
government said Afghans continue to face “violent repression” under Taliban
rule.
The statement also honored the more than 39,000 Australian
Defence Force and civilian personnel who conducted or supported operations in
Afghanistan over two decades. The government remembered the 41 Australian
soldiers who died during operations in Afghanistan, as well as others who died
after returning home.
The statement also recognized coalition partners and Afghan
Locally Engaged Employees who worked alongside Australian forces, thousands of
whom now live in Australia with their families.
The Taliban’s takeover in August 2021 marked a “devastating
turning point” for Afghanistan, the statement said. It also triggered one of
the largest humanitarian operations in Australian history, as Australian
defense, foreign affairs, immigration and border officials worked to help
thousands of Australian citizens, visa holders and locally engaged Afghan
employees leave the country.
Australia said it has continued supporting Afghanistan since
the Taliban takeover. Since September 2021, the government said it has provided
$310 million in humanitarian assistance through trusted partners, including
United Nations agencies, to ensure aid reaches people most in need rather than
the Taliban.
The government also said it has expanded migration pathways
for displaced Afghans and continues to work with international partners to
support people at greatest risk, particularly women and girls.
The statement strongly condemned the Taliban’s treatment of
women and girls, saying their ongoing human rights violations and efforts to
remove women and girls from public life by restricting education and employment
opportunities remain unacceptable.
Australia said it has worked with international partners to
pursue action against discrimination under the Convention on the Elimination of
All Forms of Discrimination against Women. It also said it has established an
autonomous sanctions framework for Afghanistan and imposed financial sanctions
and travel bans on senior Taliban figures.
“Today, we reaffirm our commitment to the Afghan people to
hold the Taliban to account,” the Australian government said, adding that it
would continue to push for consequences and support international efforts to
protect fundamental freedoms.
“The Afghan people are not abandoned,” the statement said.
