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Hanafi meets with WFP chief, calls for more international support

Published

3 years ago

June 13, 2023

Deputy prime minister Abdul Salam Hanafi met with Carl Skau, the Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of the UN’s World Food Program in Kabul on Monday where the two discussed the current situation in Afghanistan, a spokesman for the Islamic Emirate said.

According to the deputy spokesman, Bilal Karimi, Hanafi said that sanctions are not solutions and that it creates obstacles even against humanitarian operations, and he urged the international community to not neglect the effects of the long drought in Afghanistan, remove obstacles, and support development projects.

Hanafi also expressed his gratitude for the WFP’s assistance and help given to the needy and destitute people of Afghanistan. He also asked for more assistance for the people.

Hanafi pointed out that since the IEA took control of the country, security has been established and the country is no longer at war.

“With its brave decision, the Islamic Emirate declared amnesty, banned the use and trafficking of drugs, treated drug addicts and collected beggars from different places. However, despite that, the assistance of the international community, especially the United Nations, is not enough in the mentioned sectors and should be increased,” he said.

Hanafi said that corruption within the government in the country has been eliminated.

“Sanctions are not a solution and even have a negative impact on humanitarian activities, so the international community should take the path of interaction and dialogue with the Islamic Emirate,” Hanafi said.

Hanafi further added that: “The international community should not forget that Afghanistan has suffered due to the war and chaos of the past half century and recent droughts, and the implementation of development projects should continue to be supported.”

Carl Skau, WFP’s Deputy Executive Director said the organization has been involved in Afghanistan for 60 years in various sectors, including food security, nutrition, humanitarian aid and development. He said the WFP’s goal is to attract more international aid to the people of Afghanistan.

“Corruption was a major problem in the past, which fortunately has been eliminated, drugs have decreased and overall security has been ensured in Afghanistan,” Skau said.

The WFP’s Deputy Executive Director added that the people of Afghanistan have really suffered due to wars and climate change, so “we are trying to get more humanitarian aid to the poor people of Afghanistan.”

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US State Department: Afghanistan fails to meet minimum fiscal transparency standards

Published

42 seconds ago

August 12, 2026

Ariana News

The U.S. Department of State says Afghanistan’s ministries and other public-sector institutions failed to meet any of the minimum requirements for fiscal transparency during the review period.

In its 2026 Fiscal Transparency Report, released Tuesday, the State Department said no Afghan entity had published an executive budget proposal or an end-of-year report within a reasonable timeframe.

The report said that in the absence of a publicly available budget, there was no confirmation of government expenditures made to support public services. It also said Afghan institutions had not published timely information on public-sector debt obligations.

According to the report, publicly available revenue and expenditure figures did not correspond to actual revenues and expenditures, based on information gathered through contacts and the government’s inability to service public-sector debts.

However, some state-owned enterprises independently published information on their revenues and expenditures.

The State Department also said an entity calling itself the Supreme Audit Office, which announced that it would begin operating in 2022, had not clarified the legal basis for its activities and did not publish any audits or audit findings during the review period.

The report further noted that the IEA did not make public the budgets of their “military” and intelligence services.

The U.S. State Department recommended that Afghan ministries and public institutions improve fiscal transparency by publishing reliable budget documents on time, following internationally accepted budgeting principles, strengthening oversight of off-budget accounts, and making information on public-sector debt publicly available.

It also called for clearer laws governing natural-resource extraction and public procurement, as well as ensuring that any supreme audit institution operates independently and meets international standards.

Meanwhile, the Islamic Emirate’s spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, said Afghanistan’s budget does not belong to any other country, and therefore there is no obligation to provide information to others about how it is spent.

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FAO warns water shortages and heat put Afghanistan’s agriculture under pressure

FAO assessed current conditions and prospects using climate forecasts, remote-sensing data and consultations with farming communities across all 34 provinces.

Published

2 hours ago

August 12, 2026

Ariana News

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has warned that water shortages and above-average temperatures are placing increasing pressure on summer crops and grazing across Afghanistan.

In its August 2026 outlook for Afghanistan’s 2026/27 agricultural season, FAO assessed current conditions and prospects using climate forecasts, remote-sensing data and consultations with farming communities across all 34 provinces.

The agency said persistent water shortages, combined with high temperatures, are affecting agricultural conditions during the summer season and increasing pressure on crops and livestock.

FAO also warned that persistently high fertilizer prices could limit farmers’ ability to invest in the upcoming winter wheat season, potentially affecting production prospects.

Looking ahead, the report says a strengthening El Niño and the possible development of a positive Indian Ocean Dipole could bring above-average precipitation during winter and spring.

Such conditions could improve water availability and boost prospects for agricultural production, but FAO cautioned that heavier rainfall could also increase the risk of floods, landslides, crop damage and livestock losses.

The agency said the latest outlook highlights the need for continued monitoring, anticipatory action and timely, practical climate and agricultural advisories to help farmers and livestock owners prepare for changing conditions.

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Hana raises concerns over Afghan women and children amid Iran’s expulsion policy

It said the risks are particularly serious for children born in Iran or those who have spent much of their lives there.

Published

4 hours ago

August 12, 2026

Ariana News

The Hana Human Rights Organization has raised serious concerns over the situation of Afghan women and children in Iran, saying the country’s plan to regulate and expel undocumented Afghan nationals remains in effect.

According to Hana, Iran’s Ministry of Interior has confirmed that the “Plan for the Regulation and Expulsion of Unauthorized Afghan Nationals” has not been suspended.

The organization said the policy is continuing amid the consequences of armed conflict and an increasingly securitized environment in Iran, which it said has heightened the vulnerability of Afghan migrants and asylum seekers.

Hana said it has previously documented cases involving the arrest and mistreatment of Afghan nationals, deportations, family separation and difficulties obtaining civil documentation and accessing essential services.

The organization warned that continued implementation of the expulsion policy could worsen these problems.

Hana expressed particular concern for Afghan children under 18, stressing that children’s rights are independent of their parents’ migration status.

It said irregular residence should not, by itself, justify a child’s detention, separation from family or removal without an individualized assessment. Any decision affecting a child, it added, should prioritize the child’s best interests, preserve family unity and provide additional safeguards for unaccompanied and separated children.

The organization warned that large-scale expulsions without clear procedures to identify and protect children at risk could result in family separation, disruption to education, lack of legal protection, difficulties establishing legal identity, exploitation and return to unsafe conditions.

It said the risks are particularly serious for children born in Iran or those who have spent much of their lives there.

Hana also highlighted gender-specific risks facing Afghan women and girls. It warned that deportation to Afghanistan without assessing risks linked to gender, previous political or social activities, family circumstances and access to support networks could expose them to serious human rights violations.

The organization said being classified as an “unauthorized foreign national” should not replace an individual assessment of a person’s protection needs and the risks they may face upon return.

Hana stressed that while states have the authority to regulate the entry and residence of foreign nationals, migration enforcement must comply with international human rights principles, including non-refoulement, the prohibition of collective expulsion, access to individualized procedures and respect for family unity.

It called for heightened protection for women and children, warning that continuing the expulsion plan without effective legal and protection safeguards could lead to further human rights violations against Afghan migrants and asylum seekers in Iran.