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UNAMA seeks over $400 million to support returnees to Afghanistan in 2025
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has announced that more than $400 million in funding will be required to support the reintegration of Afghan returnees in 2025.
In a statement posted on its official Facebook page on Wednesday, May 7, UNAMA detailed that $64 million is urgently needed for emergency assistance at border crossings, while an additional $350 million is required to support approximately 600,000 returnees and affected communities in rebuilding their lives.
“We call on donors not only to invest in emergency assistance, but also in long-term capacity building to help break the cycle of displacement and instability,” the statement read.
UNAMA’s funding appeal is part of the “Integrated Response Plan” to address the anticipated crisis stemming from the mass return of Afghan migrants from Pakistan in 2025.
The plan, jointly developed by the United Nations and various non-governmental organizations (NGOs), aims to deliver immediate aid at border entry points and provide medium- to long-term support for sustainable reintegration in designated “return areas.”
According to the UN, the strategy is grounded in the principle that sustainable reintegration must combine urgent humanitarian assistance at the borders and in return areas with broader support for affected communities over time.
The plan will be implemented through national and regional working groups focused on durable solutions, aligning short-term relief efforts with longer-term development and stability initiatives. Over 250,000 Afghan refugees returned last month.
More than 250,000 Afghan refugees returned home from neighboring Pakistan and Iran in April, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported this week. Nearly seven million Afghan refugees are living outside the country, a large percentage of whom live in Pakistan and Iran.
Last year, the Pakistani government said it would expel as many as three million Afghans this year.
Iran has also called on undocumented Afghans living in the country to return home. However, with the high levels of poverty and unemployment in Afghanistan, the returning refugees are in urgent need of assistance.
However, funding cuts in humanitarian assistance have had a huge impact on the level of assistance that organizations can provide.
The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum of Afghanistan has signed a 30-year agreement with a private company to extract marble in Daikundi province.
Under the contract, the company will invest AFN 283 million in exploring and mining marble at the “Mesh-Uliya” site, spanning 16.74 square kilometers in central Daikundi.
Hedayatullah Badri, Minister of Mines and Petroleum, stated that the marble will be processed domestically before being exported abroad. He added that the Mesh-Uliya project is expected to create around 200 jobs, and the company is committed to supporting local communities through social initiatives.
Economic experts highlight that such investments, especially those focusing on domestic processing, are crucial for job creation, boosting exports, and strengthening the national economy. Analysts further note that the project will improve local infrastructure, expand social services, and enhance the economic and social well-being of Daikundi residents.
Since the return of the Islamic Emirate to power, efforts to develop Afghanistan’s mining sector have intensified, with multiple contracts signed in areas including cement, copper, iron, and lapis lazuli, involving both domestic and international companies.
A passenger bus veered off the Salang Highway before dawn on Sunday, leaving five people dead and 44 others injured, the Ministry of Public Works said.
According to the ministry, the incident occurred at around 2:00 a.m. in the Shawol area of North Salang when a passenger bus deviated from the main road due to the driver’s negligence.
Mohammad Ashraf Haqshenas, spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Works, said five passengers were killed and 44 others sustained injuries. He added that personnel from the Salang Maintenance and Protection Directorate promptly arrived at the scene and transferred the injured to the Khunjān clinic for medical treatment.
The Ministry of Public Works has urged drivers and passengers traveling on the Salang Highway to strictly follow the instructions of on-duty teams, observe traffic regulations, and carry warm clothing, food supplies, and snow chains to prevent similar incidents.
The ministry also noted that heavy snowfall and stormy weather have led to the temporary closure of the highway, while road maintenance teams are continuing snow-clearing operations.
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Major fire in Mandawi Kabul market contained, extensive losses prevented
Local shopkeepers said the fire broke out around 4 a.m.
The Ministry of Interior reported that personnel from the General Directorate of Firefighting and Emergency Response successfully prevented the further spread of a fire at Mandawi market on Kabul early Sunday morning.
Abdul Mateen Qani, spokesperson for the ministry, said that the fire destroyed 10 storage facilities and 8 shops. He added that initial losses are estimated at around $700,000, but timely action by firefighting personnel saved property worth approximately $2.2 million.
Qani explained that the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit. He praised the rapid and effective containment operations, which prevented more extensive damage.
Local shopkeepers said the fire broke out around 4 a.m.
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