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UN launches $23 million project to support returnees, displaced families in northern Afghanistan

The project will be rolled out over 24 months in 11 communities across Kunduz and Baghlan and will focus on housing reconstruction, access to basic services, and other critical needs

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The United Nations has launched a major new initiative to support return refugees and communities impacted by displacement in Afghanistan’s Kunduz and Baghlan provinces.

The project aims to improve the lives of returnees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and host communities through infrastructure development, livelihood support, and community-led planning.

The $23.01 million initiative is being implemented jointly by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), UN Development Programme (UNDP), UN-Habitat, and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), with funding from the UN Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (STFA) and additional contributions from the implementing agencies.

Indrika Ratwatte, the Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Afghanistan and the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, formally launched the project during a ceremony attended by UN agency representatives, civil society organizations, and community leaders.

“This joint initiative is essential for ensuring the sustainable reintegration of returnees and meeting the recovery needs of people across the country,” said Ratwatte. “Led by the United Nations and its partners, it is designed to bring real, lasting improvements to the lives of returnees and the communities that welcome them.”

The project will be rolled out over 24 months in 11 communities across Kunduz and Baghlan and will focus on housing reconstruction, access to basic services, disaster-resilient infrastructure, and economic resilience, while also promoting social cohesion through participatory governance.

“We are grateful for introducing durable solutions that will change lives,” said Habibullah Khan, a project beneficiary from Kunduz.

In addition to infrastructure and economic support, the project will address protection issues by offering mine risk education, legal aid on housing, land, and property (HLP) rights, and identity documentation services.

The initiative comes at a critical time, as hundreds of thousands of Afghan returnees, particularly from Pakistan and Iran, continue to place mounting pressure on already strained host communities across northern Afghanistan. The region is also grappling with internal displacement due to conflict, natural disasters, and economic hardship.

“Returnees bring valuable skills, experiences, and networks that can contribute significantly to rebuilding the economy,” Ratwatte noted.

“By supporting housing construction, job creation, and long-term employment opportunities, the project fosters reintegration that enables returnees to become drivers of positive change in their communities.”

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Islamic Emirate’s army now self-sufficient, says chief of army staff

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Mohammad Fasihuddin Fitrat, Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces, says that over the past four years, the army forces of the Islamic Emirate have shown no hesitation in defending and protecting Afghanistan, and that today the country’s army is standing on its own feet.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Defense, Fitrat made these remarks at a meeting with media representatives, political analysts, and a number of government officials aimed at coordination and strengthening cooperation. He added: “Nations that cannot stand on their own feet and rely on others, even if they grow, will not be capable of achieving real progress.”

Fitrat also expressed appreciation for the role of the media in ensuring security and in supporting the country’s defense forces, stating: “We and you, as citizens of this land, must put our hands together and build the country together, take pride in our forces, and strive with all our strength for the country’s development. We have created an army that defends honor, territorial integrity, and the borders of the country, and serves as the guardian of our freedom.”

He emphasized that the Islamic Emirate is working to establish an army equipped with modern weapons so that it can defend the country’s territory under all circumstances.

He stated that the country’s army has proven to the people that anyone who looks at this land with ill intent will face a firm and courageous response, and that it has also been made clear to neighboring countries that any aggression against Afghanistan will be met with a response several times stronger.

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Afghan health minister attends second WHO summit in India

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Noor Jalal Jalali, the Minister of Public Health of the Islamic Emirate, participated in the second World Health Organization meeting on traditional medicine during his official visit to India.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Ministry of Public Health said that the meeting was held in India with the participation of representatives from around 100 countries, health ministers from 23 countries, professional experts from various nations, and officials from different departments of the World Health Organization.

During the meeting, discussions were held on the standardization of traditional medicine, training of individuals active in this field, recognition of traditional medicine as an established reality, and the sharing of countries’ experiences in this area.

The ministry stated that the purpose of participating in the conference was to standardize traditional medicine in Afghanistan, adding that for several decades this sector has been practiced in a non-standard manner and without a defined curriculum or clear principles.

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Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan boost trade and digital finance ties

Minister Sydykov, in turn, pledged the continuation of Kyrgyzstan’s humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and highlighted his country’s interest in working together on e-governance initiatives.

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Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs, Abdul Salam Hanafi, has met with a high-level Kyrgyz delegation led by Minister of Economy and Commerce Bakhyt Sydykov to discuss expanding bilateral trade and strengthening cooperation in digital financial services.

During the meeting, Hanafi reaffirmed Afghanistan’s readiness to deepen ties with Kyrgyzstan, stressing the importance of developing electronic administration systems and modern banking channels to facilitate trade and financial transactions between the two countries.

Minister Sydykov, in turn, pledged the continuation of Kyrgyzstan’s humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and highlighted his country’s interest in working together on e-governance initiatives. He also pointed to potential cooperation in areas such as the printing of securities and the development of electronic payment systems.

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