The UN Secretary-General António Guterres made a surprise visit to Kabul on Wednesday and was expected to hold discussions, with Afghan leaders, on a number of issues.
Upon arrival in Kabul, Guterres visited a refugee camp in the eastern part of Kabul and met with those affected by the war.
He reiterated his calls to the international community to not leave Afghanistan alone and instead continue their humanitarian assistance to the people of the war-ravaged country.
"Just landed in Kabul for talks with government and people. UN stands with Afghanistan at a time of violence and suffering," tweeted Guterres after arrival.
He said that there is no military solution to the ongoing situation in Afghanistan, asking Afghanistan’s neighbors and the world to realize this fact.
“I decided to start this visit to Afghanistan by talking to the most vulnerable people, the people displaced by this terrible conflict that had to flee to Kabul, losing everything with members of the families killed, with houses destroyed and that needs much strong solidarity from the international community,” said Guterres.
Bibi Gul is one displaced person who lost her two sons in Tagab district of Kapisa province. She lives in abject poverty, in a tent, with her grandchildren in this refugee camp.
“The international community, the neighboring countries all those that related to the Afghan crisis need to come together to understand that this is a war that has no military solution, that we need to have a political solution, we need to have peace, but in between, we cannot leave these people alone, we cannot leave these people suffering so much, we need to increase the level of humanitarian assistance and we need to create all conditions,” added UN chief.
There are hundreds of IDPs living in Kabul who fled their homes due to the war – in provinces such as Kapisa, Kunduz, Paktia and Nangarhar provinces.
Guterres’s trip to Afghanistan takes place two weeks after a deadly explosion ripped through downtown Kabul killing over 150 people and wounding hundreds more.
