Kabul, June 15 (RHC)-- United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres says there is no military solution to the crisis in Afghanistan that is displacing record numbers of people as the United States mulls sending more troops to the war-torn country. Guterres made the remarks during an unannounced visit to the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Wednesday.
Afghanistan is still suffering from insecurity and violence years after the United States and its allies invaded the country in 2001 as part of Washington’s so-called war on terror. The military invasion removed the Taliban from power, but confrontations continue to this day.
During his visit to a makeshift camp for internally displaced persons (IDP) on the outskirts of Kabul that accommodates families who fled the fighting, Guterres said the Afghan conflict could only be solved by ending the war. He said: "Obviously, peace is the solution for their problem, and the international community, the neighboring countries, all those that are 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."
The crisis for refugees and internally displaced people forced international bodies such as the UN to call for emergency funding. Referring to the suffering of the displaced people, the UN chief said: "We need to increase the level of humanitarian assistance and we need to create all conditions for them to be able to live in dignity."
His comments come as the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is planning to deploy thousands more troops to the war-torn country.