Southern Afghanistan recorded among the top three wettest Aprils in the last 40 years, a specialist U.S.-based agency said on Monday.

In general, the precipitation in April has supported standing crops in northern, northeastern, and western parts of the country, but flooding has affected around 10,000 acres of agricultural land, particularly in eastern and southeastern parts of the country, the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) said in a report.

The recent precipitation has also positively contributed to pasture conditions across the country, except in the central highlands, where temperatures are still typically low, according to the report.

As the precipitation season concludes, household access to food and income is expected to improve with the start of the harvest and agricultural labor opportunities, the report said.

An Iranian security official has said that the entire border of Iran with Afghanistan will not be fenced, rather barriers will be created only at vulnerable points.

Iranian army has announced that the plan to create barriers at the border with a four-meter concrete wall, barbed wire and fence will be implemented within three years.

“In some northwestern and eastern borders, there are threats from the other side of the borders that we are countering,” said Qassem Rezaei, Iran’s deputy police commander.

He added that drug trafficking, human trafficking, and even terrorist infiltration may take place through these borders.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Interior of Iran Ahmad Vahidi has announced that over 1.3 million illegal foreign nationals have returned to their country in the past year.

He added that illegal citizens should leave Iran as they are not allowed to stay.

Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs Abdul Salam Hanafi on Sunday met with WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, Hanan Balkhy, and called for the organization’s cooperation including in the establishment of clinics in remote areas and training of specialists.

According to a statement released by his office, Hanafi pointed out that since the Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan regained power, there has been progress in various fields, including the fight against drug production and trafficking, the roundup and treatment of drug addicts, the eradication of corruption and nationwide security.

He asked the WHO to hand over Afghanistan’s seat to the representative of the Islamic Emirate and restore Afghanistan’s membership in meetings of the executive board and leadership meetings of the Mediterranean region.

Hanafi also called for the cooperation of international organizations in providing alternative livelihoods for poppy farmers and in providing assistance to flood victims.

While stressing that the eradication of polio is one of the priorities of the Islamic Emirate, Hanafi asked the WHO to activate polio diagnosis laboratories and supply vaccines, establish a cancer treatment center, prevent malnutrition among children and provide safe drinking water.

According to the statement, WHO official Balkhy said in the meeting that the health issue is non-political and one of the priorities of the organization.

She pointed to the achievements of the Islamic Emirate in various fields and expressed hope that better conditions will be provided for Afghans in the health and education sector.

Balkhy explained that WHO, together with other international organizations and the European Union, has a three-year project that includes the establishment of health centers in different provinces of Afghanistan.

She also expressed her appreciation for the efforts of the Islamic Emirate in the fight against polio and added that she will discuss the issue of providing alternative livelihoods for Afghan farmers with the WHO and other relevant organizations.