Uzbekistan has entered the active phase of preparing a feasibility study for the proposed Trans-Afghan Railway Project, a key regional initiative aimed at strengthening transport and trade links between Central and South Asia.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Termez Dialogue in Tashkent, Uzbekistan’s Deputy Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade, Shokhrukh Gulyamov, said field studies and technical assessments for the project are already underway.

“We have already begun the active phase of preparing the feasibility study for this project,” Gulyamov said, adding that authorities expect to have concrete figures by the end of the year to help determine the next stage of implementation.

The Trans-Afghan Railway Project is expected to connect Central Asian countries with Pakistani ports through Afghanistan, creating a shorter and more efficient trade route between Central and South Asia. Officials view the railway as one of the region’s most important connectivity initiatives.

Gulyamov said the project could eventually become part of a broader transport network across Afghanistan, further enhancing regional trade and transit opportunities.

He also noted that the railway complements wider regional infrastructure efforts, including cooperation with Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan and the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project.

According to Uzbek officials, growing trade volumes between Central and South Asia are increasing the need for expanded transport infrastructure and alternative transit corridors.

The project gained momentum in July 2025 when Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan signed a trilateral agreement in Kabul to jointly prepare the feasibility study for the railway.

Once completed, the study is expected to provide key details on project costs, financing options, technical requirements and potential implementation timelines.

The proposed railway is widely seen as a strategic project that could boost regional connectivity, facilitate trade and strengthen economic integration across Central and South Asia.

Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai has expressed appreciation to Qatar’s Education Above All (EAA) Foundation for providing scholarship opportunities to Afghan girls, enabling dozens of young women to pursue higher education abroad.

In a statement, Karzai said that 74 Afghan girls had successfully graduated from various universities across the United States through the foundation’s scholarship program.

He congratulated the graduates on their achievement and praised the efforts of organizations supporting educational opportunities for Afghan girls. Karzai described the graduates’ success as an important accomplishment for both the students and the future of Afghanistan.

The former president also emphasized the importance of continuing educational opportunities for Afghan women and girls, noting that education remains a key pillar for the country’s development and prosperity.

Karzai further called for the creation of employment opportunities for educated professionals and stressed the need to reopen schools and universities for girls, allowing Afghan women to continue their studies within the country.

The Middle East conflict is pushing millions of people closer to hunger, as rising ‌fuel and transport costs drive up food prices while funding shortfalls force aid agencies to scale back assistance, the U.N. World Food Programme said on Friday.

Joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran in February triggered a regional conflict stretching across the Gulf and into Lebanon, disrupting key shipping routes, ​including the Strait of Hormuz, forcing vessels to reroute and sharply constraining global energy flows and supply chains, Reuters reported.

In March, the ​WFP forecast as many as 45 million people could fall into acute food insecurity if oil ⁠prices remained around $100 per barrel through June. That scenario is now unfolding, the agency said, with benchmark crude prices staying ​above that level since early March.

Households in Afghanistan, Somalia and Sri Lanka are among the most seriously affected and face mounting ​pressure due to higher fuel costs, food price spikes, income losses and disrupted trade.

In Somalia, 6.5 million people – roughly a third of the population – are expected to face severe hunger in 2026, while Afghanistan could see 17.4 million people affected, the WFP said. The situation is projected ​to worsen, with an additional 2.5 million Somalis and 2.3 million Afghans at risk of falling into food insecurity if ​disruptions persist. Both countries are reliant on imported energy and food.

The Middle East crisis comes amid a ‌deep ⁠funding shortfall for aid agencies. The WFP said it expected to serve 1.5 million fewer people globally in 2026, and 9 million fewer if the situation persists for six months.

In Somalia, supplies of nutritious food for children under 5 suffering from moderate malnutrition will run out as soon as July, as the WFP faces an 89% funding gap in the country.

“We ​are running out of food. ​The food is not available ⁠for distribution, and the ones who will experience the impact of this are going to be very vulnerable children,” said Jean-Martin Bauer, the director of WFP’s Food Security and Nutrition Analysis ​Service.

The situation is being worsened by supply chain issues, with fewer ships stopping ​in Somalia because ⁠of disruptions which have affected shipping in the Indian Ocean, read the report.

Some WFP stocks have also been held up in Salalah Port in Oman, causing critical delays. Soaring jet fuel prices are also leading to higher operational costs for the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service – the ⁠only ​means to safely access hard-to-reach areas, the WFP said.

In Afghanistan, surging fuel prices ​have driven up aid transport costs as much as fivefold, and delivery times have shot up from 10 days up to as many as 75 days ​as trucks had to use alternative corridors, the WFP said.