Taliban say 'drowned in our problems', won't interfere in others' affairs

The Taliban say their government will "not interfere" in other countries' internal affairs, calling on international organizations to resume providing Afghanistan with much-needed aid.

The Taliban’s Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund admitted to the challenges that the new rulers are grappling with, as most of the international organizations stopped their assistance to Afghanistan after the Taliban returned to power in August.

The United States also seized nearly $9.5 billion in assets belonging to the Afghan central bank. The Taliban have repeatedly called for the release of the assets, but Washington rebuffed the call, saying the new government in Kabul must “earn” international legitimacy first.

“We are drowned in our problems and we are trying to get the strength to bring our people out of miseries and hardships with God's help,” the prime minister said in a televised speech on Saturday.

"We ask all the international charity organizations to not withhold their aid and to help our exhausted nation... so that the problems of the people could be solved," he added.

He also assured that “all the countries that we will not interfere in their internal affairs and we want to have good economic relations with them.”

Hassan’s remarks came as the United States and the Taliban are set to meet next week in the Qatari capital, Doha.

SS