Canada and G20 allies press Taliban to improve aid access, respect for human rights

Canada joined its G20 allies in pushing Afghanistan’s new Taliban rulers to allow humanitarian aid to better reach the country’s suffering people.

During a virtual summit, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his fellow G20 leaders discussed the crisis in Afghanistan created by the Taliban’s rout of Kabul’s Western-backed government.

The European Union emerged from the summit Tuesday announcing a support package of $1.4 billion, about two-thirds of which was new money.

There was no sign of any renewed Canadian financial commitment following Canada’s August announcement of an additional $50 million in humanitarian assistance to international organizations helping Afghanistan.

The financial