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UN refugee boss arrives in Afghanistan amid unprecedented returns
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi arrived in Kabul on Saturday amid a record surge in returns of Afghan refugees from neighboring countries.
Grandi was welcomed at Kabul International Airport by Sheikh Kaleem-ur-Rahman Fani, Deputy Minister of Finance and Administration at Afghanistan’s Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation. During the reception, Fani praised Grandi’s visit and stressed the need for international support to address the urgent needs of returnees.
“Resolving refugee issues is a shared responsibility,” Fani said, highlighting that returnees require not only emergency assistance but also sustainable access to shelter, education, and healthcare.
Grandi said his visit aims to assess the situation of returnees firsthand and to hold talks with officials of the Islamic Emirate and affected communities.
He noted that the mass return of refugees from neighboring countries is a major challenge, adding that despite global financial pressures, UNHCR remains committed to its humanitarian mission in Afghanistan.
He is expected to visit Herat province as part of his mission, where he will evaluate the conditions of returning families.
The visit comes as hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees have been forced to return from Iran in recent months, placing enormous strain on humanitarian services and local infrastructure across Afghanistan.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday that security risks in Central Asia and developments in Afghanistan are among the primary concerns for the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
The CSTO is a regional military alliance that includes Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.
Speaking in Moscow during a meeting with CSTO Secretary-General Taalatbek Masadykov, Lavrov described the region’s security challenges as “central” to the organization’s agenda.
“The problems that are currently among the central ones for the CSTO are new challenges and threats. I am referring to the situation in the Central Asian region of collective security, as well as everything related to what is happening in Afghanistan,” he said.
He praised Masadykov as “one of the leading experts” on Central Asian security, noting that his experience could enhance coordination and increase the effectiveness of allied actions.
Similar to NATO, the CSTO considers an attack on one member state as an attack on all.
Countries in the region have always expressed concern about security threats from Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate, however, has dismissed these concerns and assured that it will not allow Afghanistan’s soil to be used against another country.
The Ministry of Higher Education of Afghanistan has announced that the leader of the Islamic Emirate has approved the establishment of a faculty dedicated to “Prophetic Medicine.”
According to the ministry, this new faculty will play a vital role in advancing medical sciences and training skilled healthcare professionals across the country.
Afghanistan’s Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs, Noorullah Noori, has announced that the long-delayed demarcation and renovation of border markers along the Afghanistan–Iran frontier will officially begin in the near future.
According to a statement from the ministry, Noori made the remarks during a meeting with Iran’s ambassador to Kabul, Ali-Reza Bikdeli.
He assured the Iranian side that the Islamic Emirate is fully committed to accelerating the process and resolving any challenges that may arise during implementation.
In a separate statement, the Iranian Embassy in Kabul said Bikdeli underscored the importance of bilateral cooperation on border issues, describing it as a key factor in strengthening and expanding overall relations between the two countries.
Officials from both sides agreed nearly three months ago to resume the border-marker renovation project, which had remained stalled for the past seven years.
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