'Prevent Afghan genocide': Amrullah Saleh's appeal to UN as Taliban close in on Panjshir

New Delhi: Former Afghanistan vice president Amrullah Saleh appealed to United Nations asking it 'mobilise their resources' to end the crimes being committed by the Taliban in the war-torn country.

In a letter written to the United Nations, Saleh informed about the 'humanitarian crisis' in Panjshir, the last province in Afghnaistan not controlled by the Taliban, claiming the province was looking at a full scale "catastrophe" which might lead to "genocide" of Afghans.

“Around 2,50,000 people, including local women, children, elderly and 10,000 IDPs who arrived in Panjshir after the fall of Kabul and other large cities are stuck inside these Valleys and suffering from the consequences of this inhuman blocked (sic). If no attention is paid to this situation, a full scale human rights and humanitarian catastrophe including starvation and mass killing, even genocide of these people are in the making,” the letter read.

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From the office of the acting President @AmrullahSaleh2 #Panjshir pic.twitter.com/y5ogsMS7Rt

— BILAL SARWARY (@bsarwary) September 4, 2021

Further, Saleh said two decades of conflicts, recurrent natural disasters, disease outbreaks, COVID-19 pandemic and recent takeover of most of the country by the Taliban has "plunged the country into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis".

Saleh claimed that over 3 million people have been displaced and more than 18 million people are in need of food aid for their survival. He urged UN and other international agencies to help his country and generously respond to "this overwhelming humanitarian crisis".

As it Taliban's ascend to Kabul had looked inevitable Saleh had declared himself the acting president of Afghanistan. Former president Ashraf Ghani had fled the country.