A day after a regional dialogue hosted by it on the Afghan crisis pressed for providing unimpeded humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, India hoped that the joint call would spur some movement on the ground.
External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said there is a need for urgent humanitarian assistance for Afghan people but at the same time referred to difficulties being faced because of lack of unimpeded access to Afghanistan.
At the regional dialogue, National Security Advisors (NSAs) of India, Russia, Iran and five Central Asian countries on Wednesday called for providing humanitarian aid to Afghanistan in an unimpeded, direct and assured manner.
"We have been looking at possibilities, but there have been difficulties due to lack of unimpeded access," Bagchi said at a media briefing when asked whether India is looking at sending aid to Afghanistan. Pakistan has not allowed transit facilities to send aid to Afghanistan.
"With winter approaching, there are disturbing reports coming in of dire humanitarian situation (in Afghanistan) and I hope that the joint call by so many NSAs would spur movement on the ground," Bagchi added.
Asked about China's participation at a dialogue on Afghanistan hosted by Pakistan while declining to attend the Delhi conference, Bagchi did not give a direct reply. "We invited China. They said they could not come because of scheduling issues," he said, adding that he will not comment on where it goes. Bagchi said Pakistan too was invited to the dialogue and its decision not to participate in such an important meeting reflects their attitude towards the issue of Afghanistan. He said the Delhi Regional Security Dialogue held extensive discussions on the very serious humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and that concerns were expressed over it.
He said all regional countries were on the same page on the humanitarian situation and their determination to see that assistance is provided. The central Asian countries that attended the dialogue are Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
A declaration released at the end of dialogue said the NSAs pitched for providing assistance to the Afghan people in an unimpeded, direct and assured manner and that aid should be distributed in a "non-discriminatory" manner across all sections of the society. To a question, the spokesperson suggested that no deadline can be set to send humanitarian aid to Afghanistan at this point in time.
He said India's support to the people of Afghanistan is very clear. "India's support to the people of Afghanistan is very clear. It is a people-led interaction and involvement with that country. We have been extending support for many years for the people of Afghanistan," the spokesperson said. Bagchi said the situation on the ground in Afghanistan has become very difficult over the last few months following the transition there. We have been participating in meetings on how to address the impending humanitarian concerns, he said.
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