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China refuses to implement Silk Road project in Afghanistan

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Last Updated on: October 25, 2022

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Officials in Chamber of Commerce and Industry said that China has refused to impalement Silk Road project in Afghanistan.

According to them, to transfer its commercial property China has replaced Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan instead of Afghanistan.

The Chamber of Commerce concerns over intensification of insecurity; adding there is the possibility of losing other economic projects in Afghanistan.

The New Silk Road concept was first presented in public by the president of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, in September 2013 during his visit to Kazakhstan. He came up with the proposal to create a Silk Road Economic Belt. In October 2013, during his trip to Indonesia, he presented a parallel initiative, the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. The idea of reviving the Silk Road became popular in China in the media and expert circles, who coined the slogan “One Belt and One Road”.

Throughout 2014, the concept gradually came to be the pivotal issue in China’s foreign policy and, to a lesser extent, in its domestic policy. Initially, it remained vague and did not envisage that institutional action would be taken as part of its implementation. However, the Chinese government created a financial framework of the New Silk Road towards the end of 2014. Xi Jinping declared that China would be establishing a US$40 billion New Silk Road Fund. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), which was founded by China and twenty other Asian countries in November 2014, will be an additional source of funds. In January 2015 it was promised that a private Energy Development Fund would be created. This fund is planning to attract investments worth US$20 billion as part of the implementation of the New Silk Road concept.

The Silk Road is one of the important economic projects for Afghanistan that canceled due to increase of insecurities in the country.

“Insecurities in the north caused China changes its decision and a number of neighboring countries also create problems for our large economic projects,” Hashim Rasouli, spokesman of chamber of commerce said.

The Chamber also warned National Unity Government leaders to lose other important economic projects if they do not stop their differences.

However the ministry of commerce and industry considered these statements incorrectly.

Sources maintain that Afghan government asked Beijing to help connect both countries via a land route in the northern Wakhan corridor and discussions regarding this issue took place between Ashraf Ghani and Chinese officials during the Afghan President visit toChina last October.

Afghanistan needs to minimize its dependence upon Pakistan and Iran for its trade shipments due to instable relations with these countries. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who has served at the World Bank and has excellent relations among World Bank establishment, is pursuing to find finances from World Bank to construct expressway from Kabul to Chinese border through its Azure route passing via Wakhan belt.

The prospects for a stable and prosperous Afghanistan, following the withdrawal of NATO-Isaf forces in the post-2014 period, will largely depend upon Afghanistan’s ability to sustain economic growth, provide goods and services to its people, reduce its dependence upon international aid, and realise its natural resource deposits.

Thus an Afghanistan connected to the South and Central Asian region through the revitalisation of the ancient Silk Road, will not only help re-establish Afghanistan as a land-bridge, but also help sustain its economy by facilitating and connecting the transit of goods and energy across the region.

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Afghan citizens reported among casualties in US, Israeli attacks, Iran says

As of now, authorities of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan have not issued an official response to the claims.

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Iran’s Embassy in Kabul, citing Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, has stated that a number of Afghan citizens were killed or injured during what Tehran described as a 35-day military campaign carried out by the United States and Israel.

According to the statement, the Afghan nationals were living in Iran at the time of the attacks. Baghaei referred to them as “honored guests” of the country, adding that some lost their lives while others sustained injuries during the reported strikes.

He did not provide specific figures regarding the number of Afghan casualties or further details about the incidents.

As of now, authorities of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan have not issued an official response to the claims.

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Save the Children: Nearly one Afghan child killed or injured daily by explosive remnants

Despite the efforts of aid organizations and demining groups, the scale of the contamination remains overwhelming.

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Save the Children has issued a stark warning, revealing that nearly one Afghan child is killed or injured every day by explosive remnants of war (ERW). In its latest report, the global humanitarian organization emphasized the ongoing and deadly impact of landmines and unexploded ordnance scattered across the country, a legacy of decades of conflict.

From January 2025 to January 2026, 338 Afghan children were killed, injured, or permanently disabled by explosive remnants. Shockingly, children represented nearly 70 percent of all casualties from such explosions during this period. Save the Children’s report underscores that Afghanistan continues to have the highest number of child casualties due to explosive remnants worldwide.

The report highlights that vast swathes of Afghanistan remain contaminated with hazardous materials, with more than 2.7 million people – including many children – living within one kilometer of these dangerous zones. These hazardous areas, often located in fields, pastures, and farmlands, remain uncleared despite ongoing demining efforts. Afghanistan is now considered one of the most contaminated countries globally, with nearly 5,000 hazardous sites still awaiting clearance.

The danger is particularly acute for rural and nomadic communities, including the Kuchi, who traverse long distances in search of water and grazing lands. These communities face severe challenges in accessing healthcare, education, and protection services, further compounding the risks posed by unexploded devices.

To address the growing threat, Save the Children has launched mobile awareness programs aimed at teaching children, particularly in remote and underserved regions, how to identify and avoid explosive hazards. These programs are crucial in helping to reduce the number of child casualties, as children are often unaware of the dangers in their environment.

Despite the efforts of aid organizations and demining groups, the scale of the contamination remains overwhelming. Funding shortages continue to hamper the progress of clearance operations, leaving families and children exposed to the deadly remnants of past conflicts.

“Explosive remnants of war are not just a legacy of Afghanistan’s past; they are an ongoing humanitarian emergency that continues to claim innocent lives,” said Save the Children. “The international community must step up its support to ensure the safety of Afghan children and accelerate efforts to clear these life-threatening hazards.”

As the country struggles to recover from years of conflict, the need for comprehensive and sustained demining operations, alongside better access to education and healthcare for at-risk communities, has never been more urgent.

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Eight dead after 5.8-magnitude earthquake hits Afghanistan

The family members who perished included a father, mother, four daughters, and two sons. In addition to the deaths, a child was reported injured in the incident.

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A powerful 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck Afghanistan on Friday, killing at least eight people and injuring a child when a house collapsed in Kabul. According to local officials, the victims were all members of the same family.

Hafiz Basharat, spokesperson for the Kabul Governor, confirmed that the fatalities occurred in the Bagrami district of Kabul. The family members who perished included a father, mother, four daughters, and two sons. In addition to the deaths, a child was reported injured in the incident.

The earthquake, which originated in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan, struck at a depth of approximately 177 kilometers, according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences. Tremors were felt across a wide area, including Kabul, Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, and India’s capital New Delhi.

Local authorities have yet to release additional details regarding the extent of the damage or any further casualties caused by the earthquake.

As rescue operations continue, Afghan authorities are assessing the full impact of the earthquake, which has left many concerned about the potential for more aftershocks in the region.

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