Foreign Minister Huitfeldt: Norway will not stop sending aid to Afghanistan

Freezing Norway’s aid to Afghan civil society will not put pressure on the Taliban, Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt (AP) believes.

The Taliban have broken the promises they made during their visit to Norway in January. At the time, Taliban envoys promised that girls would be allowed to go to school, but since then, they have decided that that does not apply to girls over 12 years of age.

Women are also required to wear the burqa, they cannot go outside without the company of a male family member, and female presenters must now “cover up.” This breaks with the promises made at Soria Moria, says Omran Mansoor, a lawyer at the Immigration Appeals Board. 

He thinks it could put pressure on the Taliban if Norway withholds money, Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) reports.

Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt (AP) partly agrees.

“Could work in some areas”

“I think that could work in some areas. But we will not stop giving food and medicine to starving Afghan children. It does not contribute to any political changes,” Huitfeldt told NRK.

“It depends on what aid you are talking about. We are not cooperating at all with the Taliban state. We work with international aid organizations to prevent famines, prevent large refugee flows or flourishing of terrorist groups,” she said.

She says it has consequences when the Taliban do not keep their word, including about schooling for girls.

“When they do not keep their promises that girls over the age of 12 will be allowed to go to school, then we do not give any aid to schools that are only for boys. So it has consequences that they do not deliver on what they said in Oslo,” she said.

Source : © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews

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