“Presence in Afghanistan to remain after US, NATO withdrawal”, says UN

The United Nations (UN) said it will remain in Afghanistan to continue its political and humanitarian mission after the departure of the United States and NATO.

Stephane Dujarric spokesman to the UN secretary-general said in his statement,

It was “clear and obvious” that the troops’ departure “will have an impact on the country as a whole,” in response to questions about the mission’s future.

“We will continue to study the situation, but our work in Afghanistan will continue,” he said.

“The UN has been present on the humanitarian-development end in Afghanistan for a long, long time, and we will continue to be there to help the Afghan people,” he said, adding that the organization would “adapt to the situation on the ground.”

Earlier, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies agreed to withdraw their forces from Afghanistan following the United States’ decision.

According to the reports, the allies have decided to withdraw from Afghanistan by May 1 after the US announced it would pull troops out by September.

The talks held in between defense and foreign ministers,

“This drawdown will be orderly, coordinated, and deliberate,”

“We plan to have the withdrawal of all US and Resolute Support Mission forces completed within a few months.”

Jens Stoltenberg Secretary-General of NATO said in his statement that,

“The allies went into Afghanistan together, we have adjusted our posture together, and we are united in leaving together,”

“This is not an easy decision and it entails risks,”

“As I’ve said for many months, we face a dilemma. Because the alternative to leaving in an orderly fashion is to be prepared for a long-term, open-ended military commitment with potentially more NATO troops.”