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Funding cuts hamper Afghanistan’s earthquake response
Humanitarian officials warned Monday that dozens of health clinics have been forced to shut down and critical UN air support was suspended, leaving rescuers struggling to reach remote mountain villages.
Severe funding shortfalls are obstructing relief efforts in eastern Afghanistan, where a powerful earthquake has killed at least 800 people and injured more than 2,800.
Humanitarian officials warned Monday that dozens of health clinics have been forced to shut down and critical UN air support was suspended, leaving rescuers struggling to reach remote mountain villages.
The 6.0-magnitude quake struck shortly before midnight on Sunday in Kunar province, flattening entire communities and overwhelming a fragile health system already weakened by years of conflict, poverty, and natural disasters.
Since the Islamic Emirate took power in 2021, Afghanistan has endured three major deadly earthquakes alongside droughts, floods, and mass deportations of Afghan migrants from neighboring countries.
“The actual delivery of response has been badly hit by the funding cuts this year,” Kate Carey, deputy head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Afghanistan told Reuters. “The number of people we have on the ground is much less than we would have had six months ago.”
Humanitarian aid to Afghanistan has plummeted, falling to $767 million this year from $3.8 billion in 2022, according to U.N. data. The decline stems from multiple factors: shifting donor priorities amid crises in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan; frustration over Islamic Emirate restrictions on women; and U.S. aid cuts to USAID programs, initiated in January under President Donald Trump’s administration.
The impact has been stark. Forty-four health clinics serving more than 360,000 people in Nangarhar and Kunar provinces have closed this year due to funding shortfalls, according to the World Health Organization.
The World Food Programme’s humanitarian air service, which once provided helicopters to ferry medical teams and supplies into inaccessible areas, was grounded earlier this year because of budget cuts.
The Islamic Emirate meanwhile has appealed for emergency support. So far a few countries including India, Switzerland and the UAE have pledged emergency aid. The UAE also confirmed it would send rescue teams.
Aid groups meanwhile say Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis is being compounded by international isolation. Sanctions on IEA leaders have crippled banking channels, and billions of US dollars in Afghan central bank reserves remain frozen.
Sherine Ibrahim, Afghanistan Director of the International Rescue Committee, told Reuters that the cuts threaten to paralyze relief operations. “Although we have been able to act fast, we are profoundly fearful for the additional strain that this disaster will have on the overall humanitarian response in Afghanistan,” she said.
The Embassy of Japan in Afghanistan has announced scholarship opportunities for Afghan students under the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Program for the 2027 academic year.
According to the embassy, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan is offering scholarships for graduate-level study at Japanese universities under the research student category, including both regular and non-regular students.
Interested and eligible applicants can download the application guidelines and forms from the official Study in Japan website and are advised to carefully review all requirements before applying.
Applicants who meet the eligibility criteria and have prepared all required documents must submit their applications by 25 May 2026. The embassy said late or incomplete submissions will not be accepted.
The first screening process will include a written examination in Kabul on 18 June 2026, followed by interviews scheduled for July 2026 (date to be confirmed).
The Embassy of Japan noted that the Aga Khan Foundation Afghanistan will assist in collecting applications and facilitating written examinations, but will not be involved in the selection process.
It further emphasized that the selection will be conducted independently by the embassy and the Japanese government, based on academic merit, quality of application documents, and performance in written and interview examinations, without consideration of religious, linguistic, or ethnic background.
The scholarship program is fully funded and free of charge. The embassy warned applicants to remain cautious against scams, stressing that no financial contributions are required at any stage of the application process.
Abdul Salam Hanafi, Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs, has launched the distribution of more than 1,000 residential land plots for returning migrants in Logar province.
During a visit to Logar, Hanafi inaugurated a new township and said the initiative aims to support Afghan returnees by providing them with housing opportunities and improving settlement conditions.
He called for speeding up the process of distributing residential plots designated for migrants, stressing the importance of timely implementation.
“We inaugurated this township today, which includes more than 1,000 plots. These plots will be distributed to migrants. In addition, other townships will also be constructed soon,” he said.
Hanafi also noted that over the past three years, more than five million Afghan migrants have returned from neighboring countries, adding that efforts are underway to provide them with essential services and support their reintegration.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani, has urged the Afghan authorities to take concrete action against militant threats that Islamabad says originate from Afghan soil.
Speaking at an event at the Pakistan Embassy in Kabul marking the first anniversary of Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos against India, Nizamani reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to maintaining “brotherly ties” with Afghanistan.
The ambassador also highlighted Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts in reducing tensions between Iran and the United States, saying Islamabad’s initiatives reflected its commitment to regional and global peace.
During the ceremony, Nizamani reaffirmed Pakistan’s determination to defend itself against any aggression.
“Pakistan’s desire for peace must never be mistaken for weakness,” the ambassador said, calling for heightened vigilance against regional threats.
Pakistani officials have consistently claimed that militants use Afghan soil to attack Pakistan. The Islamic Emirate, however, has denied this claim and said that Afghanistan is not responsible for Pakistan’s security failures.
Japan announces MEXT scholarships for Afghan students for 2027 academic year
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