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American freed by IEA reunited with wife, former cellmate, in US
George Glezmann, an American detained in Afghanistan for more than two years before being released by the Islamic Emirate, arrived in the United States on Friday, where he reunited with his wife and was greeted by a welcoming party that included his former cellmate.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Ryan Corbett, another former prisoner of the Islamic Emirate who had been held in the same cell as Glezmann, was at Joint Base Andrews, outside Washington, to greet Glezmann, Reuters reported.
“After a brief ceremony, George and (his wife) Aleksandra flew to another location in the United States to rest and recover,” Bruce told a regular State Department news briefing.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement on Thursday confirming the release of Glezmann, who was detained in 2022 while visiting Kabul as a tourist.
A source told Reuters he left Afghanistan aboard a Qatari aircraft on Thursday evening bound for Qatar, following direct talks between U.S. hostage envoy Adam Boehler and Islamic Emirate officials in Kabul.
Bruce said the U.S. is grateful for the support of the government of Qatar in bringing Glezmann home. She said the United Arab Emirates also played a role in facilitating the initial discussions.
In a statement, the Islamic Emirate called Glezmann’s release a “goodwill gesture” reflecting its willingness to engage with the United States “on the basis of mutual respect and interests.”
Thursday’s meeting in Kabul marked the highest-level direct U.S.-Islamic Emirate talks since President Donald Trump came to power in January.
Boehler met with the Islamic Emirate administration’s foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Afghan foreign ministry said in a statement.
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Afghanistan received more than $11 billion in humanitarian aid over the past five years
Afghanistan has received more than $11 billion in humanitarian assistance since the Islamic Emirate returned to power in August 2021, according to United Nations figures cited by the BBC.
Despite the substantial aid, the gap between humanitarian needs and available funding remains wide, with the United Nations warning that millions of Afghans continue to require assistance.
The decline in international funding, a growing number of people in need and the return of millions of Afghan migrants from neighboring countries have added pressure to the country’s humanitarian situation.
Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis deepened following the collapse of the previous government in August 2021. The depreciation of the national currency, the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs and reductions in some international support programs further strained the economy and living conditions.
UN data shows that Afghanistan received about $5.2 billion in humanitarian assistance in 2021, followed by around $3.8 billion in 2022 and nearly $2 billion in 2023.
For 2024 and 2025, the United Nations appealed for more than $3 billion to address humanitarian needs in Afghanistan. However, funding fell short of the amounts requested.
The assistance has largely been directed toward food, healthcare, support for returnees and other urgent humanitarian needs.
The United Nations continues to classify Afghanistan as one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, stressing that sustained international support remains essential for millions of Afghans who continue to need assistance.
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Afghanistan expresses condolences over deadly Indonesia earthquake
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has expressed deep sorrow over a powerful earthquake that struck eastern Indonesia, killing at least 53 people and forcing around 5,000 others to evacuate.
A magnitude-7.7 earthquake struck Flores Island and surrounding areas on Saturday, blocking roads and triggering landslides, Indonesian authorities said.
In a statement, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs conveyed its sympathy and condolences to the government and people of Indonesia over the casualties caused by the earthquake.
It also wished a speedy recovery to those injured in the incident.
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Afghan commerce minister meets Uzbek deputy prime minister in Termez
Afghanistan’s Minister of Industry and Commerce, Nooruddin Azizi, met with Uzbekistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Jamshed Khojaev in the city of Termez to discuss expanding economic cooperation and joint investment.
The meeting, held on Saturday at the Termez Trade Center, focused on cooperation in the electricity, mining and agriculture sectors, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce said in a statement.
Uzbek officials expressed interest in investing in various sectors in Afghanistan. The Afghan delegation welcomed the interest and emphasized its readiness to create the necessary conditions for expanding economic cooperation and joint investment.
Mohammad Yousuf Wafa, governor of Balkh, and Abdul Ghaffar Bahr, Afghanistan’s ambassador to Tashkent, also attended the meeting.
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