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Norwegian Refugee Council NGO to suspend aid work in over 20 countries due to Trump policy

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that the administration would reach out to USAID to identify and designate programs that would be exempted from the stop-work orders.

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The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said on Monday it would suspend humanitarian work in nearly 20 countries worldwide after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a freeze on U.S. foreign aid worldwide when he took office on January 20, Reuters reported.

The non-governmental organisation received just under 20% of its funding from the United States in 2024, or around $150 million, it said, with that funding helping some 1.6 million people worldwide.

“We have, in our 79-year history, never experienced such an abrupt discontinuation of aid funding from any of our many donor nations, inter-governmental organisations, or private donor agencies,” the NRC said in a statement.

The agency said the consequences of suspending aid would become increasingly serious for people facing crises around the world.

Already in Ukraine, NRC said, it had to halt the scheduled February distribution of emergency support to 57,000 people in communities along the front lines and had to lay off staff worldwide.

The Trump administration said last Monday it would put on leave all directly hired employees of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) globally and recall thousands of personnel working overseas, read the report.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that the administration would reach out to USAID to identify and designate programs that would be exempted from the stop-work orders.

However, the NRC said it was unable to take advantage of the temporary waiver unless the U.S. government resumed payments to its partners for work completed before the foreign assistance pause.

“We currently have millions of dollars in outstanding payment requests to the U.S. government. Without an immediate solution we may, at the end of February, be forced to halt U.S.-funded lifesaving humanitarian programmes,” it said.

That included supplying clean water to 300,000 people trapped in the blockaded city of Djibo in Burkina Faso, and cutting funding to nearly 500 bakeries in Darfur, Sudan, which provide food hundreds of thousands of people, the NRC said.

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Pakistan orders undocumented Afghan nationals to leave by July 10

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Pakistan has set July 10 as the final deadline for undocumented Afghan nationals to leave the country, with authorities ordered to launch a nationwide crackdown on those who remain without legal status after the deadline expires.

The Ministry of Interior has instructed provincial governments, police chiefs and the Islamabad administration to strictly enforce the directive. From July 10, officials will begin operations targeting Afghan nationals living illegally in Pakistan, while anyone found without valid documentation faces arrest.

Starting July 11, provincial authorities will be required to submit daily reports to the Interior Ministry detailing the number of undocumented Afghans identified, the action taken against them, and their legal or custodial status.

The ministry has described the operation as a top priority and called for its immediate implementation across the country.

The announcement comes amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan over security concerns. Pakistani authorities have repeatedly accused militant groups of using Afghan territory to stage attacks, allegations the Islamic Emirate administration has consistently denied.

Earlier this week, Pakistan said a suspected militant arrested after an attack on a Pakistan Rangers Sindh camp claimed to have entered the country from Afghanistan with three accomplices. In a recorded confession released by authorities, the suspect alleged links between the group and Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, as well as support from individuals based in Afghanistan.

The Afghan government has not responded to the latest claims, and the allegations have not been independently verified.

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UNAMA confirms death of 28 civilians following Pakistani airstrikes on eastern Afghanistan

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At least 28 civilians were killed and 49 others injured in Pakistani airstrikes on three eastern Afghan provinces late Sunday, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said on Monday, warning that the toll could rise as hospitals continue treating the wounded.

In a statement, UNAMA said the strikes hit Paktia, Paktika and Kunar provinces on the evening of June 28. Women and children were among those killed and injured, according to the UN mission.

The deadliest attack took place at around 11:30 p.m. in Chamkani district of Paktia province, where at least 22 civilians were killed and 47 others wounded.

Around the same time, a separate airstrike in Gyan district of neighboring Paktika province killed six civilians. A third strike in Marawara district of Kunar province injured two children.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting confirmed that Pakistani security forces had carried out airstrikes in the three Afghan provinces.

UNAMA said it is continuing to verify the incidents and emphasized that the casualty figures remain preliminary.

“The figures are preliminary and may increase as hospitals continue to treat the injured,” the mission said.

The UN mission renewed its call for all parties to comply with international humanitarian law, stressing the principles of precaution, distinction and proportionality to protect civilians during military operations.

UNAMA also expressed its condolences to the families of those killed and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.

Meanwhile, the casualty figures released by the Islamic Emirate are higher. According to the Islamic Emirate, 36 civilians were killed and 163 others injured in the Pakistani military’s recent airstrikes on eastern Afghanistan.

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Afghanistan summons Pakistani diplomat over airspace violations and civilian bombing

Afghanistan strongly protested against the violation of its airspace and the bombing of civilian residential areas, delivering a firm and formal objection to the Pakistani diplomat.

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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan has summoned the Chargé d’Affaires of the Pakistani Embassy in Kabul in response to overnight airstrikes in the provinces of Kunar, Paktia, and Paktika.

According to the Ministry, Afghanistan strongly protested against the violation of its airspace and the bombing of civilian residential areas, delivering a firm and formal objection to the Pakistani diplomat.

The Ministry described the recent attacks as a clear violation of international principles, humanitarian law, and Afghanistan’s national sovereignty, condemning them in the strongest possible terms.

The statement further noted that Pakistan has, over the past few years, attempted to deflect its internal security and political failures by making baseless accusations against Afghanistan.

It added that such actions not only fail to address existing challenges but also seriously damage bilateral trust, good neighborly relations, and regional stability.

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