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US to grant $80 million aid to boost Afghanistan food production
The US Agency for International Development’s new $80 million grant to Afghanistan will boost food production which will generate more income into the war-torn country and revive rural markets, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), said in a statement on Thursday.
The grant comes as the country’s agricultural sector struggles to produce food, achieve food security and build resilience in the face of continuing drought and a worsening economic crisis.
“Agriculture is the backbone of Afghanistan’s economy, people’s livelihoods, food production and food security. Almost half the total population face acute food insecurity – hunger on a daily basis – reaching over 70 percent in many rural areas. USAID’s generous support will help Afghanistan’s farmers to begin seeing beyond the current crisis and start laying foundations for future recovery” the FAO’s Representative in Afghanistan Richard Trenchard said.
The five-year contribution from USAID will support the country’s urgent need for emergency intervention, to help farmers and build more climate-smart and resilient livelihoods through an increase in the production of nutritious foods and fostering an environmentally friendly practices, the FAO said in a statement.
According to the statement the fresh funding from USAID will be implemented in eight provinces around the country – Nimroz, Ghor, Daykundi, Jawzjan, Badakhstan, Nuristan, Paktika and Prawan – all of which are facing acute food insecurity according to the latest IPC assessment.
The UN agency is also implementing an “unprecedented humanitarian [program] to protect rural livelihoods” of more than nine million people across 34 of Afghanistan’s provinces this year during this difficult time.
The FAO said it will create some producer groups to enhance linkages to local markets and create microfinancing opportunities which will target various products including dairy, crops, and livestock and provide people with tools such as micro solar dryers, and zero-energy cold storages, among other equipment.
The agency expects significant environmental benefits such as afforestation, climate-smart pastures, riverbank management and the reduction of soil erosion to be achieved.
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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).
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