IEA seeks foreign aid for Afghan media outlets

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) is seeking foreign aid to support media outlets in the country, its spokesman said on Sunday.

Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the IEA, said that it has received some assurances in this regard from the international community.

“There are some groups in the world that provide assistance. We will try to attract through legitimate means donors who worked for capacity building and funding of journalists,” Mujahid said.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Information and Culture has expressed hope that business and development activities will increase next year, and so will commercial opportunities for the media.

Several media outlets have been shut down due to economic problems in recent months, including two radio stations in the last couple of weeks.

Media advocacy groups have been calling on the government and aid organizations to support Afghanistan media so that gains in this sector are preserved.

“We ask the international organizations to take effective steps to resolve media problems and prevent the closure of radio and television stations. They should seriously address the economic challenges of the media,” said Masroor Lutfi, a spokesman for Afghanistan’s National Journalists Union.