Lord Dannatt states that he does not believe it is appropriate to withhold help from Afghanistan and let “the majority of Afghan people starve and newborns die” because women are not permitted to pursue secondary school.
A former leader of the British Army has urged the reintroduction of Western aid to Afghanistan despite the Taliban’s violations of human rights.
Baron Dannatt stated that the removal of help leads to infant mortality and hunger and that the absence of education for women and other violations of human rights are a price worth paying to maintain aid.
One year ago today, Western forces withdrew from Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, and the Taliban seized control of the country.
According to the Foreign Office, aid is still being supplied to Afghanistan, but it is distributed through NGOs and charities and does not reach the Taliban.
Lord Dannatt stated, “We withdrew from Afghanistan hastily and unnecessarily a year ago, and then, in my opinion, curtailed aid to Afghanistan in an appalling manner.
“Such that the population, the infants, are in the state your video has just aired nationwide.
“Mankind is famished.
“We went to Afghanistan to help the Afghan people, but now we’re just watching them suffer – I find this ridiculous.
“I believe Priti Patel and other government officials should not take joy in what is occurring.
“They should begin again – as should the Americans, who are mostly responsible for what has transpired – by greatly increasing their aid packages so that the people of Afghanistan can have food and prosper,”
On the first anniversary of the fall of Kabul, Republicans in the US House of Representatives released a report criticizing how the country withdrew from Afghanistan, stating that important choices were not taken until “hours before the Taliban captured Kabul.
Lord Dannatt stated, “After [the withdrawal], the West declared, ‘Well, we don’t like the Taliban, therefore we’ll shut off help to this country.’
“Because helping to Afghanistan has been shut off, newborns are dying in hospitals and people are starving throughout the country.
“Is that accurate? As said previously, when we spent twenty years building up Afghanistan and the Afghan society, we also spent twenty years assisting the people.
Why should we abruptly cease aiding the populace because we dislike the Taliban?
“Yes, their human rights record is poor; they have prohibited secondary education for girls.
“But is this the right price to pay for the majority of Afghans to starve to death and for infants to perish?
“I do not believe so.”
