Indonesia to Provide Aid for Crisis-plagued Afghanistan: Scholarship for Afghan Women!

Nusantara Pol - Indonesian government is committed to provide assistance to the Afghan people. The series of events, which was started by USA's troops pull out, have triggered deteriorating humanitarian situation.

“Currently, inclusive governance (in Afghanistan) has not materialized. The humanitarian situation is deteriorating," said Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) at the 13th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit, quoted from the official presidential website on Friday (11/26/2021).

President Joko Widodo attended the 13th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Virtually from the Bogor Presidential Palace, Friday, November 26, 2021. (Photo: BPMI Setpres/Lukas)

Currently, there are about 23 million people who are threatened with a food crisis as a result of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. Therefore, President Jokowi argued that a helping hand to the country of Afghanistan is very much needed.

"Humanitarian assistance is a priority. We are committed to providing assistance, including capacity assistance," he said.

In addition to the humanitarian issues, Indonesian government is also concerned with two other important points. 

First, women empowerment. President Jokowi reminded that respect for women's rights is one of the promises of the Taliban. In this regard, Indonesia wants to contribute so that this promise can be fulfilled.

One of the outlets that can be used to realize it is through Indonesia-Afghanistan Women Solidarity Network. Indonesian government hopes that this network can be utilized for cooperation in empowering Afghanistan women in the future.

“We are also ready to provide educational scholarships for Afghan women. We will continue our efforts to empower Afghan women through cooperation with various parties," President Jokowi explained.

Second, cooperation between Islamic scholars (Ulema). President Jokowi fully understands the important role of ulama in Afghanistan and Indonesian society. In 2018, Indonesia hosted a trilateral meeting of Afghanistan-Pakistan-Indonesian ulama to support the peace process.

“Although the situation in Afghanistan is different, the ulema still play an important role. We are ready to facilitate dialogue between ulemas, including Afghan clerics," concluded President Jokowi.