United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an immediate, unconditional ceasefire in Afghanistan to create a conducive environment for Doha peace talks with the Taliban.

The Taliban and Afghan government have been engaged in peace talks in Qatar since September 12 but no progress has been announced so far. Mr Guterres’s call came in a virtual address to a global donor conference in Geneva today, with Afghanistan beset by violence between the Taliban and government forces, rampant corruption and an imminent withdrawal of US forces.

Meanwhile, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani today urged the international community to continue supporting Afghanistan even as he acknowledged that donors are likely to cut aid under the strain of COVID-19.

Donor nations meet every four years to pledge aid to Afghanistan, which is almost entirely reliant on foreign assistance despite years of promised reforms and attempts to grow the economy.

But the 2020 donor conference could see less aid pledged as countries battle to recover from the devastating effect of COVID-19. Concerns are high that gains made in the past 20 years, especially in the area of women’s rights, could be lost as the Taliban unleashes further violence.