The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) signed two grant agreements worth a combined $5 million with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Thursday to support humanitarian operations in Afghanistan and Syria.

Under the agreements, $2.5 million will be allocated to the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund and another $2.5 million to the Syria Humanitarian Fund.

KFAED said the grants will help finance urgent humanitarian programs and projects aimed at addressing critical needs and providing life-saving assistance to vulnerable and affected communities.

The funding will also enable the OCHA-managed humanitarian funds in Afghanistan and Syria to respond more rapidly and flexibly to emergencies, support humanitarian partners on the ground and improve coordination of relief operations.

According to KFAED, the latest agreements reflect Kuwait’s continued commitment to international humanitarian efforts and bring its total contributions to joint projects with OCHA to approximately $16.1 million.

The agreements were signed by KFAED Acting Director General Rashid Al-Bader and OCHA representative in Saudi Arabia Mohammad Zaid.

China has urged Afghan authorities to take resolute action against terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan, warning that such groups continue to pose a serious threat to the country and the wider region.

Speaking at a UN Security Council briefing on threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts, Sun Lei, Chargé d’Affaires of China’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, said on Wednesday the international community should pay close attention to the counter-terrorism situation in Afghanistan.

Citing a report by the UN Secretary-General, Sun said terrorist organizations based in Afghanistan, including ISIL-Khorasan (Daesh), continue to increase their capability and intent to carry out cross-border attacks.

“China urges the Afghan authorities to honor their counter-terrorism commitments and take resolute action against all terrorist groups based in Afghanistan,” Sun said.

He also called for action against individuals and entities listed by the UN Security Council’s 1267 Sanctions Committee, warning that Afghanistan should not become a breeding ground for terrorism.

The Chinese diplomat said the international community should support Afghanistan in rebuilding its economy and improving people’s livelihoods, arguing that addressing economic challenges can help remove conditions that contribute to the spread of terrorism.

Sun added that China supports greater cooperation between Afghanistan, Central Asian countries, and regional organizations, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, to jointly address cross-border terrorist threats.

The remarks come as the Islamic Emirate has repeatedly denied the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan, saying it will not allow Afghan territory to be used against the security of any other country.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has appealed for $38.3 million in urgent funding to help protect Afghanistan’s 2027 wheat harvest, warning that soaring fertilizer prices are putting the country’s upcoming planting season at risk.

The agency said the funding would enable up to 600,000 farming households to access certified wheat seed and fertilizer ahead of the winter wheat planting season, a critical period for Afghanistan’s main staple crop.

According to FAO, fertilizer prices have surged following disruptions in global markets linked to the 2026 Middle East crisis. Although fertilizer remains available, many Afghan farmers can no longer afford it, threatening wheat production in a country where soil fertility depends heavily on the use of diammonium phosphate (DAP) and urea.

“Afghanistan’s farmers have an opportunity to benefit from a stronger agricultural season after a harsh drought year, but rising fertilizer prices threaten to put that opportunity out of reach,” said Richard Trenchard, FAO Representative in Afghanistan. “This is not a supply crisis; it is an affordability crisis.”

FAO warned that many farmers may be forced to reduce fertilizer use or plant smaller areas, leading to lower crop yields, declining household food supplies and rising debt. The impact is expected to be particularly severe for women-headed households, returnee families and food-insecure rural communities.

Farmers in Nimroz province say they are already feeling the effects. Din Mohammad said shopkeepers who previously provided fertilizer on credit no longer do so, while another farmer, Wakil, said he faces the difficult choice between supporting his family and buying seed and fertilizer.

To address the challenge, FAO plans to provide targeted subsidies through private-sector suppliers using its biometric farmer registration and e-voucher platform, known as IDEA. More than 100,000 farmers have already been registered for the upcoming campaign.

The agency said support will initially focus on the most vulnerable households before expanding as additional funding becomes available.

FAO noted that combining certified seed with adequate fertilizer and good farming practices can increase wheat yields by 32.8 percent. It stressed that funding secured by mid-September would allow farmers to obtain essential inputs before planting begins, helping protect next year’s harvest, strengthen food security and reduce future humanitarian needs in a country where agriculture remains the main source of income for most of the population.