The Taliban has voiced support for anticlimate change efforts and requested international aid to complete environmental projects within Afghanistan.
Citing a need to protect the country’s ‘fragile climate’, Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said ‘tremendous work’ was needed to help Afghanistan become greener.
Cop26 will not have representation from the Taliban regime which came into effect in August.
Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said ‘tremendous work’ was needed to help Afghanistan become greener
But Mr Shaheen said that environmental projects which had been approved for United Nations funding under the former Afghan government must ‘fully resume work’.
And he stressed that the Taliban – which formerly targeted international contractors – was ‘committed’ to ensuring their safety.
Mr Shaheen said: ‘Afghanistan has a fragile climate. There is tremendous need for work.
‘Some climate change projects which have already been approved and were funded by Green Climate Fund, UNDP, Afghan Aid, should fully resume work.’
UN scientists have warned that the drought in Afghanistan could lead to 22 million people being forced into acute food insecurity.
However, the regime change has made it difficult for international agencies to function properly and international donors have resisted the temptation to work with Islamist exiles.
Shaheen said, however, that the Taliban, who had previously targeted international contractors and were able to secure the security of the teams working on the projects.
Writing on Twitter, he said: ‘The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is committed to providing security and a safe environment for the work of NGOs and charity organisations.’
Mr Shaheen made his call as the Taliban’s shadowy ‘supreme’ leader Haibatullah Akhundzada made his first public appearance since 2016.