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IRC’s Emergency Watchlist for 2023 places Afghanistan in top 3
As the people of Afghanistan wrestle with one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, Afghanistan was listed as one of the top 3 countries on the International Rescue Committee’s (IRC) annual Emergency Watchlist 2023, which highlights the 20 countries most in danger of aggravating humanitarian crises in 2023.
IRC ranked Afghanistan after Somalia and Ethiopia on its list of the 20 countries that would experience the worst humanitarian disasters in the upcoming year, on Wednesday, December 14, stating that around 340 million people globally would depend on humanitarian aid.
Beyond the specific crises to watch, the IRC report delves deeply into the three main catalysts for humanitarian crises—armed conflict, climate change, and economic instability—and shows what can be undertaken to re-establish defenses against a runaway world.
“On average, countries on the Watchlist have experienced armed conflict for nearly the entirety of the past decade,” David Miliband, President and CEO of the IRC said.
“The 2023 Watchlist reveals a need for a step change in the way the international community approaches humanitarian crises.”
Afghanistan topped the list the previous year. It is now in third place because things have become worse in East Africa.
The Islamic Emirate meanwhile confirms the poverty and economic problems in the country, but emphasizes that the level of problems is not to the extent that international organizations say.
“Our people see these issues themselves; the first right that a person has is the right to life and after the arrival of the Islamic Emirate, security is ensured and people are not killed,” said Bilal Karimi, deputy spokesman of the IEA.
According to IRC, the top ten countries most in danger of growing humanitarian crises on the Watchlist are Somalia, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Yemen, Syria, Sudan, South, In Burkina Faso, Haiti, and Ukraine respectively.
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Afghanistan says Pakistani military post destroyed near Spin Boldak
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense says a Pakistani military post near Spin Boldak was targeted and destroyed after Pakistani forces opened fire toward Afghanistan.
Ministry spokesperson Enayatullah Khwarazmi said in a post on X that Afghan forces suffered no casualties or damage in the clash.
Khwarazmi also rejected claims made by the Pakistani side about the incident, describing them as “propaganda.”
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Mujahid: Pakistan attacking Afghanistan to evade Mecca Pact responsibilities
He warned that the Islamic Emirate would give an “appropriate response” to what he called the Pakistani military regime’s “bullying.”
Islamic Emirate spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid has accused Pakistan of carrying out attacks on Afghanistan to divert attention from its domestic problems and to evade responsibilities under the “Mecca Pact.”
Speaking at a religious seminary in Kandahar, Mujahid said Pakistan was facing political and economic challenges at home and was using attacks on Afghanistan to shift public attention away from protests and its internal problems.
“Pakistan, by violating the territory of its neighboring Islamic country, wants to divert attention from its failures,” he said.
Mujahid also criticized Pakistan’s political situation, claiming that political space had been restricted and that freedoms guaranteed under the country’s laws were not being allowed.
He said Pakistan’s economic problems had also increased significantly and accused the country of seeking to distract the public from those problems by engaging in conflict with Afghanistan.
Mujahid further accused Pakistan’s military leadership of putting the Pakistani people at risk through what he described as its “false position.”
He warned that the Islamic Emirate would give an “appropriate response” to what he called the Pakistani military regime’s “bullying.”
His remarks followed Pakistani airstrikes on Kandahar, Paktia and Khost provinces on Thursday, which Afghan authorities said killed four civilians.
The strikes came three days after attacks on Kunar and Paktika provinces, in which Afghan authorities said three civilians were killed.
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Kabul rejects U.S. claim that meth seized in Pakistan was of Afghan origin
Balkhi said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has imposed an absolute ban on the production, trafficking and use of all types of narcotics in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi has rejected a U.S. claim that 463 kilograms of synthetic drugs seized in Pakistan were of Afghan origin, calling the attribution “unfounded and politically motivated.”
Balkhi said the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad should investigate the origin of the seized drugs in Pakistan rather than attributing them to Afghanistan.
“The attribution by the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad of the synthetic drugs bound for Sri Lanka and intercepted in Pakistan through joint U.S.-Pakistani efforts as ‘Afghan-origin’ is an unfounded and politically motivated allegation,” Balkhi said.
He said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has imposed an absolute ban on the production, trafficking and use of all types of narcotics in Afghanistan.
Balkhi also claimed that following the ban in Afghanistan, the cultivation, production and trafficking of narcotics have increased “on the other side of the Durand Line.”
He further argued that Afghanistan does not have the capacity to produce synthetic drugs and said crossing points along the Durand Line have been completely closed to all movement for nearly a year.
His remarks came after the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad said U.S. and Pakistani anti-narcotics authorities had seized 463 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine worth an estimated $21 million and bound for Sri Lanka.
The embassy said the operation led to multiple arrests and highlighted ongoing U.S. cooperation and training with Pakistani authorities to disrupt international drug-trafficking networks.
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