KABUL (SW) – In July 2023, the Islamic Emirate ordered the cessation of all Sweden activities in Afghanistan in protest against the burning of the Holy Quran in that country by an Iraqi-origin citizen. Following this decision, significant portions of the Swedish Committee’s activities for Afghanistan were halted, and as of a week ago, all its operations have come to a complete standstill.
Khaled Fahim, spokesperson for the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, told Salam Watandar that significant efforts have been made to address the needs of the millions of people served by this committee.
Regarding this matter, Fahim said: “We have proposed some solutions to the Islamic Emirate government. If the name Sweden is problematic, we are ready to change the name of this institution or explore alternative options. Unfortunately, we have not reached a tangible conclusion until early 2024, and ultimately, we were forced to suspend our activities in March 2024.”
The SCA’s spokesperson emphasizes this committee has been active in Afghanistan for decades without considering political issues, and its budget is not solely funded by Sweden. He demands a reconsideration of the Islamic Emirate’s decision in halting their activities in Afghanistan.
The Swedish Committee for Afghanistan remains concerned about the situation of its thousands of employees in 16 provinces and the millions of beneficiaries who relied on the committee’s services.
“In 2023, approximately 3.7 million Afghans benefited from the services of the Swedish Committee. If this situation continues, we are concerned about them. About 7,000 individuals were employed by the Swedish Committee in 16 provinces of Afghanistan, and we are worried about them, Mr. Fahim said.
The Swedish Committee for Afghanistan has been active in various sectors, including education, health, disability rehabilitation, and rural development with a focus on women, children, and persons with disabilities, for decades. This committee is an independent organization and has no affiliation with the Swedish government.
One of the major activities of the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan was supporting individuals with disabilities and working on their rehabilitation. The cessation of this committee’s activities has left these individuals in a precarious situation.
Faiz Mohammad Nazari, who worked as a teacher at the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan for years, expresses concern about his and his colleagues’ uncertain fate. He tells Salam Watandar, “Unfortunately, with the closure of the Swedish Committee, we have become unemployed. Not only us, but several of our colleagues have also become unemployed, and we are facing many economic hardships.”
Sayed Mohammad Yazdanparast, the spokesperson for the Disability Rights Advocacy Association in Balkh province, says: “At least 1,200 visually and hearing impaired students in northern Afghanistan were supported by the Swedish Committee. Since the suspension of the committee’s activities from July last year, the cooperation with these individuals with disabilities has been cut off, and this has had a negative impact on their social integration in society.”
Fazlulhaq Hashemi, head of the disabled people’s association in Ghazni province, said: “The disabled people are in a terrible state. If one of their artificial legs is missing a bolt or a screw for example, or is broken, they cannot repair it themselves, they have to go to the Red Cross in Kabul, but the Red Cross does not help fixing the artificial legs that are provided by the Swedish committee.”
Nevertheless, the Islamic Emirate authorities say that there is currently no decision to resume the activities of the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, told Salam Watandar: “After the desecration of the Holy Quran in Sweden and the Swedish government’s failure to take any action, the Islamic Emirate halted all activities of Sweden in Afghanistan. This decision suspends the activities of the Swedish Committee.”
