India has reaffirmed its long-standing support for the Afghan people at the United Nations Security Council, urging the international community to continue humanitarian assistance, protect the rights of women and girls, and ensure that Afghan refugees return home voluntarily, safely and with dignity.
Speaking during a UN Security Council session on Afghanistan, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, said India remains committed to a principled and sustained engagement with Afghanistan despite the country’s ongoing humanitarian and human rights challenges.
Parvathaneni warned that the growing wave of forced returns of Afghan refugees has become a major humanitarian concern. He said returns must be voluntary, safe and dignified, in line with international humanitarian principles, and called on countries hosting Afghan refugees to receive greater international support.
India also urged the international community not to disengage from Afghanistan, stressing that continued cooperation is essential to address the country’s humanitarian crisis and prevent further instability.
India highlights humanitarian and development assistance
Parvathaneni said India’s relationship with Afghanistan is rooted in centuries-old civilizational ties and that New Delhi has invested heavily in Afghanistan’s development over the past two decades. He noted that India has implemented more than 500 development projects across all 34 provinces of Afghanistan, covering infrastructure, education, healthcare, agriculture and capacity-building initiatives.
“Our commitment to providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan will continue,” Parvathaneni told the Security Council, adding that India is working with UN agencies and organizations such as the Afghan Red Crescent Society to deliver aid to communities most in need.
He also said India has emerged as one of Afghanistan’s major export destinations and remains committed to expanding bilateral trade to support Afghanistan’s economic recovery. According to the Indian envoy, New Delhi continues to provide duty-free access for Afghan products, facilitate trade through the Afghanistan-India Air Freight Corridor, and issue free long-term business visas for Afghan traders.
Women’s rights remain central to international engagement
The Indian envoy emphasized that protecting the rights of Afghan women and girls must remain at the center of international engagement with Afghanistan.
Parvathaneni echoed concerns raised by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) over the continued exclusion of women and girls from education, employment and public life, saying meaningful progress in Afghanistan requires the participation of all Afghans in society.
His remarks came as UNAMA continues to describe restrictions on women’s rights, exclusionary governance and the broader human rights situation as major obstacles to Afghanistan’s long-term stability and its reintegration into the international community.
Citing the latest UN Secretary-General’s report on Afghanistan, Parvathaneni said the country’s healthcare system is under severe strain, noting that around 150 health facilities closed during the first half of the year due to funding shortages.
He called on donor countries and international organizations to increase investments in Afghanistan’s healthcare sector to prevent further deterioration of essential medical services.
