Parvathaneni Harish, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, told a recent UN Security Council meeting that the political landscape in Afghanistan has changed significantly, making it necessary to reassess the current UN sanctions regime.

Harish said the existing punitive measures have lost their effectiveness and urged the international community to adopt a new approach toward engagement with Afghanistan.

The Indian envoy also condemned Pakistan’s airstrikes inside Afghanistan, citing findings by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) that linked the attacks to significant civilian casualties.

He further accused Islamabad of imposing trade and transit restrictions on Afghanistan and called for those measures to be lifted.

Messages of condolence and support have poured in from foreign governments, international organizations and prominent Afghan figures following the devastating flash floods that struck Parun, the capital of Nuristan province on Monday.

Japanese Ambassador to Afghanistan Takayoshi Masamoto expressed deep sorrow over the loss of life and injuries caused by the floods, extending heartfelt condolences to the victims’ families and wishing a swift recovery to those affected.

The European Union Delegation to Afghanistan also expressed solidarity with the people of Nuristan, offering condolences to bereaved families, expressing hope that those still missing would be found quickly, and praising the efforts of rescue teams.

The Embassy of Iran in Kabul conveyed its condolences over the floods in Nuristan and other eastern provinces, expressing sympathy with affected families and wishing the injured a speedy recovery.

Richard Lindsay, the United Kingdom’s Special Envoy to Afghanistan, said he was deeply saddened by reports of the disaster and extended his thoughts to the victims, their families and emergency responders carrying out search and rescue operations.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said its teams are on the ground conducting rapid multi-sector assessments to identify urgent humanitarian needs, noting that the flooding has caused casualties and extensive damage to homes, infrastructure and farmland.

Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and called on Afghan business leaders and humanitarian organizations to provide urgent assistance to flood-affected communities.

Afghanistan national cricket star Rashid Khan also appealed for immediate support, urging national and international aid organizations, charitable institutions and wealthy Afghans to provide emergency humanitarian assistance, including food, medicine and shelter, to families affected by the disaster.

Search and rescue operations remain underway as authorities continue assessing the full scale of the tragedy.