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ICRC to strengthen ties with China in aiding Afghanistan
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will strengthen cooperation with China to provide humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, especially in the health sector, said Pierre Kraehenbuehl, head of the ICRC’s Regional Delegation for East Asia, Reuters reported.
This comes amid a growing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan on the back of economic sanctions.
Kraehenbuehl said about 47 percent of the Afghan population faces food insecurity in one form or another and that because the flow of money into Afghanistan has dried up, institutions that crucially provide for the needs of the people are currently facing incredibly dire circumstances.
In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) he said the ICRC is mobilizing all resources to help Afghanistan get through the humanitarian crisis it is currently facing, and approaching China is at the top of its agenda.
“We need about 150 million Swiss Francs or 160 million U.S. dollars until the end of 2022. We will mobilize support from states, and in that regard, we are approaching China and this is a priority for us. We welcome the fact that our partners in the Red Cross Society of China have come forward with the first financial support, which we are very grateful for, and we are now continuing the dialogue also with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We hope that there are avenues of cooperation that can open up,” said the official.
The ICRC representative also said that China has contributed a lot to improving medical conditions in Afghanistan, and that the organization is looking forward to strengthening cooperation with China in that regard.
A freight train, carrying 1,000-plus tons of humanitarian aid left the city of Urumqi, capital of northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Saturday afternoon and headed for Mazar-e-Sharif, the fourth largest city in Afghanistan. It will take 12 days to get the winter clothes, cotton shoes, blankets, naan, and milk-tea powder, and other materials delivered, Reuters reported.
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Pakistan to repatriate nearly 20,000 Afghans awaiting US resettlement
Authorities will also share verified data of the affected individuals with relevant departments to support implementation.
Pakistan will repatriate nearly 20,000 Afghan nationals currently awaiting resettlement in the United States, The Nation reported, citing official sources.
The move affects 19,973 Afghans living across Pakistan.
A federal directive will instruct provincial chief secretaries and police chiefs in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and the Islamabad Capital Territory to begin the repatriation process immediately.
Authorities will also share verified data of the affected individuals with relevant departments to support implementation.
Following the Islamic Emirate’s return to power in 2021, more than 100,000 Afghans fled to Pakistan, many of whom had worked with the US and UK governments, international organizations, or aid agencies.
Thousands have remained stranded in Pakistan for over four years while awaiting US resettlement clearance.
Prospects for relocation have dimmed amid a suspension of case processing by the US administration, according to The Nation.
Under Pakistan’s Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan (IFRP), all Afghan nationals still awaiting US relocation will now be returned to Afghanistan.
Terrorist activities continue to be observed along Afghanistan borders and along the India–Pakistan–Afghanistan corridor, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview published on Monday.
Speaking to Russia-based media outlet TV BRICS, Lavrov pointed to ongoing concerns in the Middle East, including its Asian regions.
He highlighted the importance of collaboration with India at the United Nations to advance a global counter-terrorism convention.
Lavrov stated that while the draft convention has already been prepared, consensus on its adoption has not yet been reached.
Russia has repeatedly expressed concern about militant threats from Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate, however, has dismissed the concerns saying that it will not allow Afghanistan’s soil to be used against any country.
Noorullah Noori, Afghanistan’s Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs, held a phone conversation with Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, to discuss bilateral border cooperation.
According to the Iranian news agency IRNA, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening border collaboration, with a particular focus on the ongoing renovation and updating of border markers. They also agreed to accelerate joint technical and legal meetings to enhance coordination.
As part of the agreement, the next meeting of senior border officials from Afghanistan and Iran is scheduled to take place in Iran in 1405 (2026–2027).
Pakistan to repatriate nearly 20,000 Afghans awaiting US resettlement
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Iran arrests at least four reform front politicians
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