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EU allocates 20 million euros to support returnees in Afghanistan

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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.

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Haqqani attends graduation ceremony of over 400 students in Ghazni

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Afghanistan’s Ministry of Interior Affairs says Sirajuddin Haqqani attended a graduation ceremony for more than 400 students of Noor-ul-Madaris Madrasa in Ghazni province.

The ministry said graduates from various departments of the madrasa received their graduation certificates at the ceremony.

According to the ministry, Haqqani highlighted the importance of education, good conduct and personal reform, while praising the contributions of religious scholars and clerics to the country’s academic and jihad-related efforts, as well as its reconstruction.

He also called on people to follow the teachings and example of religious scholars and predecessors and uphold their moral values and good conduct.

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India makes visas mandatory for Afghan Hindus and Sikhs to continue their stay

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India has made it mandatory for Afghan Hindus and Sikhs who entered the country without valid travel documents to obtain visas to continue their stay.

The Indian Ministry of Home Affairs amended the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) Order, 2025, through a notification issued on Wednesday, The Hindu reported.

Under the amendment, Afghan Hindus and Sikhs who entered India on or before December 31, 2024, must obtain an appropriate category of visa to remain in the country.

The provision applies to those who entered India without valid travel documents or whose documents have since expired after seeking shelter due to religious persecution or fear of persecution.

The amendment retains an earlier exemption introduced on September 2, 2025, which allowed members of six non-Muslim communities from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh to enter India without valid passports or visas. However, the latest notification requires them to obtain an appropriate visa after entering the country to continue their stay.

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Afghanistan has potential to generate 220 GW of solar power: UNDP

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Afghanistan has the potential to generate up to 220 gigawatts of electricity from solar energy, yet it spends more than $280 million annually on electricity imports, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) says.

In a post on social media platform X on Thursday, UNDP said tapping into the country’s solar energy potential could reduce its reliance on imported electricity and expand public access to clean and sustainable energy.

According to the agency, more than 80 percent of Afghanistan’s electricity needs are currently met through imports, despite the country’s estimated solar power generation potential of up to 220 gigawatts.

Afghanistan imports most of its electricity from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Iran. Despite having considerable solar, wind and hydropower resources, the country has remained heavily dependent on foreign electricity supplies.

UNDP said that since 2021, its projects have helped more than 5.5 million people in Afghanistan gain access to clean energy.

The agency stressed the need for greater investment and cooperation among relevant institutions to harness Afghanistan’s solar energy potential and expand sustainable domestic electricity generation.

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