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Ghani moves acting defense minister to head spy agency
President Ashraf Ghani has appointed a new acting defense minister to replace Masoom Stanekzai, a loyalist ally whom he has shifted to lead the main intelligence agency, the National Directorate of Security (NDS).
The changes, announced late on Thursday, underline the uncertainty at the top of Afghanistan’s security apparatus that has hindered the fight against the Taliban and other insurgents since Ghani’s National Unity Government came to power in 2014.
Stanekzai, who was well regarded by NATO commanders but never confirmed in office by parliament, moves to take over the NDS, whose director, Rahmatullah Nabil, resigned in December after disagreeing with Ghani’s moves towards rapprochement with Pakistan.
Stanekzai is replaced as caretaker defense minister by General Abdullah Khan, previously chief of staff at the ministry.
Both appointments will have to be approved by parliament, which failed to confirm Stanekzai as defense minister for well over a year amid wrangling in the government led by Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, the two rivals in a disputed 2014 election.
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Iran’s aid package for flood victims arrives in Balkh
The first shipment of Iran’s humanitarian aid to the flood victims in Afghanistan arrived on Thursday in Balkh province.
Razia Alishondi, the vice president of international affairs of the Red Crescent Society of Iran, has announced that the aid packages have been sent to Afghanistan within the framework of humanitarian cooperation.
Local officials in Balkh province have stated that the plane carrying aid packages, including food, medicine, carpets, blankets and tents, landed at Mazar-e- Sharif airport on Thursday.
This comes after several provinces of Afghanistan, including Baghlan, Ghor and Faryab, have witnessed devastating and deadly floods during the last two weeks. As a result of these floods, in addition to huge financial losses, hundreds of people have been killed and injured.
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Floods leave 15 dead in Faryab, Sar-e-Pul provinces
Local officials in Faryab and Sar-e-Pul say 15 people died, a large part of agricultural land was damaged and dozens of houses were destroyed due to flash floods in these two provinces.
The floods killed five members of a family in Kohistanat district of Sar-e-Pul province. At the same time, in Faryab province, 10 people were killed and 11 others injured, and dozens of houses and more than 50 acres of agricultural land were destroyed, local officials said.
The most damage has been done to the people of Lolash district of Faryab province.
However, local officials said that floods have hampered the flow of UN food aid to remote areas.
Meanwhile, the World Food Program (WFP) says that floods have destroyed roads and bridges in affected areas in Afghanistan, making it difficult to transport food aid.
WFP stated that it has provided food aid to 20,000 victims across Afghanistan so far.
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Aircraft fuel not imported to Afghanistan since last month: ACCI
Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) says it has been about a month since T1 fuel [aircraft fuel] has not been imported to Afghanistan. The chamber expressed concern, saying that the Islamic Emirate should resolve this issue and should ask Turkmenistan to allow Afghan traders to import the fuel into the country.
ACCI officials added that the oil purchase contract was signed with Turkmenistan and the money was also transferred, but that country does not allow the oil to enter Afghanistan.
IEA’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, meanwhile, said that they have looked at this problem and want the matter to be addressed through the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
According to ACCI officials, not only Turkmenistan does not allow the entry of aircraft fuel, but they also have problems in transporting food, and they want the IEA to share the issue with Turkmenistan to solve it.
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