Speech by Commissioner Lahbib at the Senior Officials Meeting on Afghanistan

European Commission -Speech [Check Against Delivery] Speech by Commissioner Lahbib at the Senior Officials Meeting on Afghanistan Brussels, 16 June 2025 Afghanistan holds a special place in my heart. Its people, its culture, and yes, its women and girls. I have travelled through Afghanistan, met the people, and heard their stories filled with courage, determination, and most of all — hope. But today, Afghanistan is one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Nearly 23 million people need humanitarian aid right now. Each of those 23 million is a person — with a name, a family, and their own unique story. We have a duty to support them and to make those stories heard. The people of Afghanistan are in the eye of the storm, facing global funding cuts and a UN system under pressure like never before. This is hitting women and girls the hardest. Afghanistan is becoming an open-air prison. In this darkness, our support is a ray of hope. We must never let Taliban repression become an excuse to walk away. On the contrary, it is exactly why we must stay and keep delivering. The European Union is also deeply alarmed by the mass forced returns of Afghans from Pakistan and Iran. The speed and scale of these expulsions raise serious humanitarian and human rights concerns. Forced returns can have devastating consequences for those affected and risk further destabilising Afghanistan and the region. We must use the political channels to keep insisting on any returns to be...