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UNSC emergency meet on Afghanistan today as Kabul plunges into chaos
UN secretary general Antonio Guterres, who has repeatedly condemned the violence against Afghan civilians, is expected to speak at the emergency meeting.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has called for an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss the rapidly deteriorating situation in Afghanistan amidst the Taliban occupation. This will be the second meeting on Afghanistan under India's presidency at the UNSC.
UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres, who has repeatedly condemned the violence against Afghan civilians, is expected to speak at the emergency meeting. The meeting is scheduled for 10am (local time) at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Estonia and Norway have requested this urgent session.
The United Nations in Afghanistan has maintained extensive aid operations since the early days of the invasion by the US two decades ago. It is not clear how the Taliban will be regarded by the United Nations in case the insurgents declare themselves the legitimate power in Afghanistan. The United Nations has more than 190 countries as members and most of them have condemned the brutality and forced occupation of the South Asian nation.
Taliban captured the capital city Kabul on Sunday and seized the abandoned presidential palace, calling it the moment when the long-running war "ends". President Ashraf Ghani and his close associates have left the country after the Taliban's entry into the capital Kabul.
Thousands of people flocked to the Kabul airport to flee the violence as several countries rushed to evacuate their diplomats. Residents near the Kabul airport said they have heard sporadic gunfire, however, no information has been received about the loss of life in the firing so far.
Chaotic scenes continued at the Kabul airport on Monday morning, leading to heavy traffic on roads, visuals posted on the social media sites showed.
