UN officials urge Western nations to engage with Afghanistan to avert instability

Two senior United Nations officials have urged Western nations to engage with Afghanistan, warning that isolating the country could fuel instability with consequences extending beyond its borders.

“The lesson of the recent past is that ignoring Afghanistan is not a good thing to do,” UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih told The Associated Press during a joint visit to the country with UN Development Programme Administrator Alexander De Croo.

Despite ongoing challenges, Salih said engagement is the best way to encourage positive policies and maintain stability. “Without it, we may well risk instability, with all the implications of that instability,” he said, citing extremism, drug trafficking, crime and refugee movements.

Afghanistan continues to face overlapping crises after decades of conflict, including natural disasters, climate change and a surge in returning refugees. Nearly six million Afghans have returned since 2023, mainly from Pakistan and Iran, with another two million expected this year, according to the UN.

The influx has placed additional pressure on communities already struggling with widespread poverty, while deep cuts in international aid have further strained essential services. De Croo said 422 health centres had closed over the past year because of funding shortages, leaving more than three million people without access to basic healthcare.

Although no Western country has formally recognised the Islamic Emirate government since it returned to power in 2021, the officials said Afghanistan has made progress in several areas, including security, anti-corruption efforts and reducing opium production.

“I wouldn’t close my eyes to the fact that there is progress,” De Croo said, noting that drug production has fallen by around 95%. However, he warned that continued international support is needed to provide farmers with alternative livelihoods and prevent a resurgence in poppy cultivation.

The restrictions imposed on Afghan women and girls remain a major obstacle to closer international relations. Both officials said they raised the issue with IEA authorities and stressed that constructive engagement offered the best chance of encouraging meaningful reforms.

“It is vital to remind the world that the price of inaction far outweighs action,” Salih said. “You cannot ignore Afghanistan, and what happens in Afghanistan does not necessarily stay in Afghanistan.”