The European Union has announced a new 20 million euros funding package for the International Organization for Migration to expand assistance for returnees, internally displaced people, and host communities in high-return areas across Afghanistan.

The funding comes as Afghanistan continues to face one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, compounded by the growing number of Afghans returning from neighboring countries.

Mutya Maskun, Deputy Chief of Mission for IOM Afghanistan, said the contribution will enable the organization to expand critical support, strengthen livelihoods, support small businesses, and improve access to essential services through Community Resource Centres.

Meanwhile, Veronika Bošković Pohar reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to helping returnees reintegrate and move toward self-reliance. She noted that since 2022, the European Union has mobilized more than 140 million euros to address displacement-related challenges in Afghanistan.

According to IOM data, more than 2.8 million undocumented Afghans returned from Iran and Pakistan in 2025 alone. Many returnees face significant challenges, including limited access to housing, livelihoods, and basic services.

The new funding will support protection services, healthcare, psychosocial assistance, livelihood and recovery programs, vocational training, and support for small and medium-sized enterprises. It will also strengthen IOM’s network of Community Resource Centres, which provide information, counseling, legal aid, protection services, and health support to returnees and vulnerable communities across Afghanistan.

Sources told Ariana News that talks between the Islamic Emirate delegation and European Union representatives in Brussels concluded on Tuesday.

According to the sources, both sides discussed the resumption of consular services for Afghans across Europe, the need for confidence-building measures, the expansion of consular presence, and ensuring a dignified process for the return of Afghan citizens.

The delegation, led by Abdul Qahar Balkhi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, traveled to Brussels with representatives from the Ministry of Interior also included in the delegation.

This marks the first time that a delegation from the Islamic Emirate has been officially invited by the European Union to Brussels and engaged in direct talks with European representatives.

Participants described the discussions as constructive and expressed hope that the process will pave the way for positive developments and help safeguard the consular rights of Afghans living in Europe.

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Works has signed a contract worth more than AFN 1.25 billion for the reconstruction of a 15-kilometer section of the strategically important Salang Highway in Southern Salang, as part of ongoing efforts to rehabilitate one of the country’s most vital transport corridors.

The ministry said the project, valued at AFN 1.252 billion, will cover a section of the highway stretching from Olang to Jabal al-Siraj. Construction work is expected to begin in the near future.

Speaking at the contract signing ceremony, Minister of Public Works Mohammad Isa Sani described the Salang Highway as one of Afghanistan’s most important economic arteries, emphasizing the need for the project to be implemented on time and in accordance with technical standards and quality requirements.

According to the ministry, the 15-kilometer road section, which has a width of 12 meters, will undergo full rehabilitation and asphalt paving. The project also includes the construction of five new culverts, the widening of 33 existing culverts, and the construction of 600 meters of roadside drainage channels.

The ministry noted that reconstruction work on the Southern Salang section from the Salang Tunnel to Olang is being carried out using concrete pavement. A significant portion of that work has already been completed, while the remaining construction is still underway.

Officials added that the broader Salang Highway rehabilitation program is progressing across three sections: Southern Salang, Northern Salang, and the Khinjan–Doshi route. Major infrastructure, including the tunnel, galleries, and vulnerable sections of the highway, has already undergone extensive reconstruction using three layers of concrete.

The Salang Highway is one of Afghanistan’s most critical transportation and transit routes, linking the country’s northern provinces with Kabul. It plays a key role in facilitating the movement of people, commercial goods, and agricultural products across the country.