Saudi Arabia restores consular services at Kabul embassy

Saudi Arabia reopened the consular section at its embassy in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul on Tuesday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry said the move reflects Riyadh’s aim of providing all Afghans with consular services.

Earlier this week, Saudi Arabia for an emergency meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to discuss the humanitarian situation in the country.

The emergency session will take place in Pakistan on December 18.

Riyadh said it aims to establish “appropriate mechanisms” for aid to reach Afghanistan, which was hit by a sudden halt in foreign humanitarian assistance following the Taliban’s takeover in August.

Afghanistan is also faced with an economy and banking system on the brink of collapse, the Covid-19 pandemic and severe drought, with the UNDP predicting that poverty may become nearly universal by mid 2022 - affecting more than 90 percent of the country's 39 million people.

The UN World Food Programme has said 22.8 million people are facing acute food insecurity.