G20 leaders agree to help Afghanistan
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The reading
The G20 is a group of 19 rich countries plus the European Union. It meets to talk about and act on major world problems. It has just met to discuss the future of Afghanistan. Leaders of the G20 promised to stop Afghanistan falling into deeper economic chaos. Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August, the economy has almost collapsed. Germany's leader Angela Merkel said it was essential to help Afghanistan. She said if the country's financial system collapsed, no humanitarian aid could be given. She added: "To look on as 40 million people descend into chaos because there's no financial system must not be the goal of the international community."
The G20 leaders will involve the Taliban in sending humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. Mario Draghi, the Italian prime minister and current leader of the G20, said: "It is very hard to see how you can help people in Afghanistan without involving the Taliban." The EU said it would increase the amount of aid it gives the country to $1.15 billion. The IMF and World Bank said they would also provide aid but did not say how much. The Taliban's acting foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, said: "The international community needs to start cooperating with us." He said the aid would help the Taliban to stop insecurity in the country. He said it would also help the Taliban to "engage positively with the world".
Sources:
- https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58887808
- https://www.arabnews.com/node/1946211/world
- https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/12/afghanistan-at-make-or-break-point-says-un-as-g20-ministers-meet
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