The delegation from the Orphans Foundation, an international help organization based in Diyarbakir, Turkey, went to Afghanistan to carry out charitable activities in the country, where millions of people face acute hunger, including 9 million who are nearly famished, due to two decade-long US occupation.

As a part of their official contacts in the country, the delegation visited Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi in Kabul on Friday.

Expressing his satisfaction with the delegation's visit, Hanafi informed the delegation about their activities as the new Afghan government which was established after the withdrawal of US occupation forces.

“The occupation forces have caused very serious damage to our people”

Stating that, as Afghan people, they were able to establish an Islamic government after their 40-year-long fight against two occupation powers, first Russia and then the United States, Hanafi said: “During the occupation, more than 5 million young people became addicted to drugs. After the declaration of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, we have launched drug treatment programs in order to rehab young people with drug addiction. The occupation forces have caused very serious damage to our society.”

“We had to fight the occupying powers for decades, so we could not give the necessary importance to education. But we have been able to focus on education after the establishment of the Islamic Emirate,” Hanafi noted.

Hanafi went on to say: “Millions of Afghan children were orphaned in the fight against the occupation forces. It is our duty to take care of the children of those who were killed while fighting against the Islamic Emirate.”

Hanafi emphasized that they attached great importance to the role of media, and said: “International media outlets are trying to do black propaganda against the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. For this reason, we are in dire need of the media to present the facts.”

Hanafi said that the Islamic Emirate had not sought revenge on those who worked with the Afghan government or foreign countries after the victory. “We declared an amnesty for those who fought against us, and even we are ensuring the safety of these people at the moment,” he added.

At the end of the visit, the two sides expressed their mutual wish to strengthen and develop the relations between Islamic countries further. (ILKHA)