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Pakistan ends ‘drive’ to issue smartcards to registered Afghan refugees
The Pakistan government has concluded its country-wide campaign to verify and update the data of an estimated 1.4 million registered Afghan refugees and to issue them with smart identity cards, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, said Sunday.
Following a short pilot, the campaign, supported by UNHCR, began on 15 April 2021 and ended on 31 December 2021. It was the first large-scale verification of refugees in Pakistan in the last 10 years.
According to early provisional results, the data of 1.25 million Afghan refugees was updated and expanded as a result of the campaign, officially known as the documentation renewal and information verification exercise (DRIVE).
Among them were 200,000 children under the age of five who were registered by their refugee parents.
More than 700,000 new smart identity cards have also been issued to date. The remaining cards will be printed and distributed in early 2022.
These cards, which will be valid until 30 June 2023, contain biometric data and are technologically compatible with systems used in Pakistan to authenticate the identities of nationals.
The new smart identity cards are an essential protection tool for Afghan refugees and give them faster and safer access to health and education facilities and to banking services, UNHCR said in a statement.
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Floods in Nuristan kill dozens of livestock following heavy rain and hail
Residents said the storms and hail have caused serious damage to their livestock, worsening economic hardships for many families in the area.
Heavy rainfall and hailstorms in Kamdesh district of Nuristan province have caused severe flooding, killing dozens of livestock and leaving local families facing major financial losses, provincial officials said.
According to the Nuristan provincial media office, floods swept through Nangal village, killing around 70 animals, including cows, calves, goats, and sheep.
Residents said the storms and hail have caused serious damage to their livestock, worsening economic hardships for many families in the area. They have urged government authorities and aid organizations to provide urgent assistance.
The Nuristan provincial administration expressed concern over the incident, stating that relevant departments would assess the damage and take necessary steps to support affected households.
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Iran allegedly relocates aircraft to Pakistan and Afghanistan amid US strike fears: CBS Reports
The spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, denied the presence of Iranian aircraft in Afghanistan in comments to CBS News.
Iran is reported to have moved several military and civilian aircraft to Pakistan and Afghanistan, reportedly to safeguard them from potential US airstrikes, according to CBS News citing unnamed informed sources.
The report claimed that multiple Iranian military aircraft were spotted at Pakistan’s Nur Khan Air Base near Islamabad, including an RC-130 reconnaissance plane. Additionally, CBS News said Iran’s Mahan Air had transferred part of its civilian fleet to Kabul before the escalation of regional tensions, with aircraft later moved to Herat Airport amid clashes along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
However, Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, denied the presence of Iranian aircraft in Afghanistan in comments to CBS News. Pakistani officials also rejected claims that Iranian military planes were stationed at their airbases, describing the reports as inaccurate.
The situation underscores heightened regional security concerns as tensions continue to rise over potential US military action.
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UN warns hunger crisis in Afghanistan deepening, women and children most affected
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned that persistent funding shortfalls have sharply reduced supplies of specialized nutritional food crucial for treating malnourished women and children.
The United Nations has issued a stark warning that hunger and food insecurity are worsening in Afghanistan, with women and children facing the most severe consequences amid ongoing economic and humanitarian challenges.
According to UN agencies, Afghanistan continues to struggle with overlapping crises, including economic collapse, widespread unemployment, and climate-related shocks that have devastated livelihoods across the country. Rising regional tensions have also driven up food prices, putting additional pressure on vulnerable households.
“The little food we can afford we give to our children, but that is not enough,” said Raqiba Ahmadi, a resident of Faizabad city in northeastern Afghanistan. She added that her youngest daughter is recovering from malnutrition while her husband remains unemployed.
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned that persistent funding shortfalls have sharply reduced supplies of specialized nutritional food crucial for treating malnourished women and children.
Millions of Afghans remain at risk of severe hunger, prompting humanitarian organizations to call for sustained international support to prevent the situation from worsening further.
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