A delegation from the US Afghanistan War Commission met Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, in Rawalpindi on Monday as the commission reviews the United States’ 20-year engagement in Afghanistan.

The delegation, led by commission co-chairs Shamila N. Chaudhary and Colin F. Jackson, met Munir at General Headquarters, according to Pakistan’s military.

Discussions covered Pakistan’s support during the Afghanistan conflict, the regional security environment and developments in Afghanistan, with a focus on issues relevant to the commission’s review.

Munir presented Pakistan’s perspective on the security dynamics that shaped the conflict and highlighted the challenges faced by the country during the prolonged war in neighbouring Afghanistan.

He also stressed the importance of incorporating the regional perspective and Pakistan’s experience when assessing the strategic, diplomatic and operational dimensions of the conflict, according to the military statement.

The delegation acknowledged Pakistan’s “longstanding role and sacrifices” during the conflict and appreciated what it described as the country’s continued contribution to regional peace and stability.

The Afghanistan War Commission was established by the US Congress in 2021 to conduct an independent review of US decisions and actions during the Afghanistan war from June 2001 to August 2021. The commission is examining the military, diplomatic, intelligence and foreign assistance aspects of the US engagement.

US forces completed their withdrawal from Afghanistan on August 30, 2021, ending nearly two decades of US military involvement in the country.

Pakistan was a key regional actor throughout the conflict, sharing a long border with Afghanistan and providing logistical and other support to US-led operations while also facing significant security challenges linked to the war.

The commission’s meeting with Munir comes as it gathers regional perspectives on the decisions and events that shaped the US engagement in Afghanistan. Its final report is expected to examine the broader strategic, diplomatic and operational lessons of the conflict.

Italian diplomat Nicola Bellomo has taken up his new post as chargé d’affaires of the European Union delegation in Afghanistan, succeeding Veronika Boskovic Pohar, who had held the position since September 2024.

Bellomo announced his appointment on X, saying he was taking on the assignment with “great pride” and would represent the European Union’s interests and values in Afghanistan.

Before his new posting, Bellomo headed the Pan-African Affairs division at the European External Action Service (EEAS). He previously served as the EU ambassador to Rwanda.

His appointment comes as the European Union continues its diplomatic engagement with Afghanistan while not formally recognizing the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA).

The EU remains one of Afghanistan’s major international donors and has recently announced funding for programmes supporting economic resilience, returnees, agriculture and climate adaptation.

A deepening funding crisis ​could leave nearly 8.3 million refugees and forcibly displaced people without access to assistance this ‌year, and push protection systems in some countries towards collapse, the United Nations refugee agency warned on Tuesday, Reuters reported.

UNHCR is facing one of its worst-ever funding crises following aid cuts by the United States and other countries. It faces a $5.789 billion funding ​gap, according to a new report by the agency, after money available to the agency fell ​24% between 2024 and 2025.

As of July, UNHCR had received only 32% of ⁠the $8.505 billion it required in 2026, while the number of forcibly displaced and stateless people globally remains ​near record levels.

UNHCR expects the population under its mandate to reach 131.2 million by year end, up from ​129.4 million at the end of last year.

“Below a certain threshold, the system doesn’t shrink, it fails,” the agency said in the 26-page report outlining the impact of budget cuts on refugee registration, child protection programmes and services for survivors ​of gender-based violence.

The report highlighted severe consequences in countries hosting large displaced populations. In Chad, where refugees have ​fled conflict in neighbouring Sudan, 319,000 people face registration delays while 200,000 women and girls could lose access to ‌safe spaces ⁠and prevention programmes.

In Sudan — which the UN considers the world’s worst displacement crisis due to the civil war that entered its fourth year in April — about 140,000 refugees and asylum-seekers remained unregistered by mid-year after registration activities were suspended for the first five months of 2026.

In Afghanistan, UNHCR grants given to people returning to ​the country have been slashed ​from $375 to $170 per person, ⁠while the country has received over one million people this year alone, due to forced or voluntary returns from neighbouring countries including Iran and Pakistan, read the report.

UNHCR said that ​further cost-saving measures could not compensate for funding shortfalls, after having already cut ​its workforce by ⁠33% in 2025, closed offices in 140 locations and discontinued operations in 15 countries compared with 2024.

The agency also said a growing share of donor funding is tightly earmarked, rising to 51% in 2026 from 19% ⁠five years ​earlier, limiting its ability to shift resources to the most ​urgent priorities.

UNHCR warned that reduced funding was gradually eroding the protection system, increasing the risk that refugees remain undocumented and that survivors ​of gender-based violence are left without the support they need.