ED Help fleeing Afghans

Korea needs to join global humanitarian efforts

A series of heartbreaking news updates are pouring out from the chaotic scenes of Afghanistan after the Taliban's rapid takeover of the war-torn country. One of the most tragic is the footage showing some Afghan parents tossing their babies to American soldiers over a high wall topped with barbed wire at Kabul's airport, desperately asking for the safety of their loved ones. There are also reports about the Taliban's brutal retaliations and human rights abuses. Sadly enough, women have become most vulnerable to those misdeeds.

The international community should make concerted efforts to prevent such mishaps. In this regard, we expect much from the special session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), scheduled for Tuesday in Geneva, Switzerland, to discuss the Afghan issue. Participants should endeavor to present practical and feasible measures from a humanitarian perspective, regardless of the interests of each nation.

The Taliban promised to refrain from retaliating against opponents, ensure human rights of women and maintain peaceful relations with other countries in a press conference Aug. 17 it held for the first time since it seized Kabul. However, skepticism is growing over its pledges, particularly the one regarding women's rights. Yet, it is worth noting that the Taliban is ― to a certain degree ― wary of international criticism over its notoriety for violence and repression.

The international community should take all possible means to make the Taliban abide by its pledges to set up an “open and inclusive” government. Yet, what is most urgent is how to protect vulnerable Afghans and effectively help their evacuation. Though the United States has so far taken a leading role toward that end, other nations should also proactively join such humanitarian endeavors.

South Korea, for its part, should roll up its sleeves as it dispatched medical and engineering units since 2001 to help with reconstruction of the war-devastated country. Given this, it is welcome that both the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and opposition People Power Party (PPP) stressed Monday the need for the government to accept fleeing Afghans who helped Koreans with their work.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs should focus on grasping the reality facing those Afghans and take measures to help their evacuation by issuing proper visas for them, for instance. U.S. President Joe Biden said Sunday the United States is working with 26 countries to help the Afghans. The Wall Street Journal Saturday reported the U.S. is considering using military bases in South Korea and other countries to accommodate them.

Washington needs to have close consultations with Seoul before making any decision in this regard, to prevent any possible misunderstandings or disputes between the two allies. In case the U.S. bases are used to house Afghan refugees, the Biden administration should clearly specify the exact number of the evacuees and the duration of their stay.

The Korean government should positively consider extending all humanitarian assistance to the Afghans. This is an essential duty the country must fulfill as a responsible member of the international community. Moreover, such assistance could serve as an opportunity to strengthen the Korea-U.S. alliance.