Almost 250 young men and women graduated from a private health care institute in Nimroz province after studying midwifery, nursing or pharmacy. 

The graduates all received their diplomas on Monday, and according to officials from the institute, the students could possibly be employed by Nimroz public health department. 

Officials said health care centers in the city and districts of Nimroz province need more staff.

“We had almost 250 graduates, most of whom are women, and we had graduates in seven departments, which included midwifery, nursing, pharmacy, dental and laboratory,” said Juma Khan Nisar, head of the health institute in Nimroz. 

Graduates meanwhile pointed out that health care centers and clinics in the province are seriously short-staffed and have requested that employment opportunities are made available for them. 

“Today, I am very happy that I received my diploma, and my request to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is to provide a work environment for us,” said Fatima, a graduate. 

The Directorate of Public Health of Nimroz said that in the current situation, educated youths could provide good services to the people.

Two people were killed and 20 others were wounded when gunmen opened fire at two vehicles carrying civilian employees of the 207 Al-Farooq Army Corps in Herat on Monday, sources said.

The vehicles were on their way to the army corps headquarters when the shootings happened in the fourth and fifth districts of the provincial capital, also Herat.

A source in the 2017 Al-Farooq Army Corps said that the 20 injured in the shootings included two children and 18 employees of the corps.

According to police, one attacker was killed and two others fled following the incident.

Defense ministry’s spokesman also confirmed the death of two army personnel.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

Japan’s ambassador to Afghanistan has announced that his country will invest $14 million in Afghanistan’s agriculture and development programs.

The Japanese ambassador to Kabul Takashi Okada, raised the issue in a meeting with Amir Khan Muttaqi, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), in Doha.

Muttaqi welcomed the decision and asked other countries to help in developing Afghanistan’s infrastructure.

“In addition to assistance in agriculture, education and other development sectors, the Japanese Ambassador noted that his country was consulting on Afghanistan’s economic growth to take the necessary steps in this regard. Humanitarian, development and other cooperation with Afghans is not linked to politics,” Hafiz Zia Ahmad, Deputy spokesman and Assistant Director of Public Relations for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, tweeted.