A former official of the United Nations has warned that Afghanistan is facing one of the most complex and severe humanitarian and protection crises in the world.

Indrika Ratwatte, former deputy special representative of the UN Secretary-General in Afghanistan, said in a recent article that restrictions on women and girls—particularly in education and employment—combined with widespread poverty and economic hardship, have made life increasingly difficult for millions.

He noted that these restrictions have significantly limited access to essential services and reduced the ability of half the population to cope with ongoing challenges, while also complicating humanitarian aid delivery efforts.

Ratwatte added that nearly five million Afghans have returned from neighboring countries over the past two years, placing immense pressure on already strained basic services. Many of the returnees, he said, arrived with limited resources and are in urgent need of assistance.

He also highlighted the impact of recurring natural disasters, including droughts, floods and earthquakes, which have worsened living conditions and destroyed homes and livelihoods.

While humanitarian organizations continue to provide assistance to millions, Ratwatte stressed that needs remain far greater than available funding.

He called on the international community to sustain its support to help Afghanistan navigate the ongoing crisis.

Meanwhile, officials of the Islamic Emirate say they are pursuing long-term development and infrastructure programs aimed at improving economic conditions and reducing the country’s challenges over time.

A delegation from the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran is expected to miss a key pre-World Cup FIFA gathering in Vancouver after turning back at Toronto Pearson International Airport, citing what Iranian media described as poor treatment by Canadian immigration officials.

According to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency, the delegation included federation president Mehdi Taj, secretary general Hedayat Mombeni and deputy secretary general Hamed Momeni. The group had travelled with valid visas to attend the FIFA Congress in Vancouver but returned to Turkey on the next available flight.

Tasnim reported that Iranian officials objected to what they called the “unacceptable behaviour” of immigration staff, adding that the dispute involved comments regarding Iran’s armed forces.

The Canada government said it could not comment on individual cases due to privacy laws but reiterated that members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) are inadmissible to Canada. Taj is reported to be a former member of the IRGC.

Canada formally designated the IRGC as a terrorist organisation in 2024, a move that has complicated travel for current and former members of the group.

The incident comes as preparations intensify for the FIFA World Cup 2026, which begins on 11 June 2026 in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Iran has already qualified for the tournament, but travel, visa and security issues remain under scrutiny.

Reports said the Iranian delegation also missed the recent Asian Football Confederation Congress, also held in Vancouver.

According to Tasnim, FIFA has contacted the Iranian delegation to express regret over the incident and indicated that FIFA president Gianni Infantino may arrange a meeting with them at the organisation’s headquarters.

FIFA has not publicly commented on the matter.

The FIFA Congress, usually a routine annual meeting, carries added importance this year as organisers finalise operational and logistical plans for the first-ever 48-team World Cup.

A federal jury in Virginia on Wednesday convicted an Afghan man of conspiring to provide material support to ​a terrorist organization in connection with the 2021 suicide ‌bombing at Kabul airport that killed 13 U.S. service members and about 160 Afghan civilians, Reuters reported.

But the jury deadlocked on whether his actions directly ​caused the deaths, sparing the defendant, Mohammad Sharifullah, ​from a possible life sentence. He still faces up ⁠to 20 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga ​did not immediately set a sentencing date.

The attack occurred on ​August 26, 2021, as U.S. forces were evacuating from Afghanistan at the end of America’s longest war. A suicide bomber detonated an explosive ​vest at Abbey Gate, killing 11 Marines, one Navy corpsman ​and one Army soldier, along with an estimated 160 Afghan civilians, read the report.

Prosecutors said ‌Sharifullah ⁠helped the Daesh group, by conducting reconnaissance and facilitating communications ahead of the attack. Defense attorneys argued the government relied too heavily on Sharifullah’s own statements ​during FBI interrogations ​and failed ⁠to independently prove his role in the bombing.

The case marked the first U.S. criminal trial ​stemming from the Abbey Gate attack, a politically ​charged ⁠episode that has continued to shape debate over how former President Joe Biden’s administration withdrew from Afghanistan, Reuters reported.

Early in President Donald Trump’s ⁠second ​term, Sharifullah was arrested in Pakistan, near ​the Afghan crossing, by Pakistani security forces working with the FBI and ​CIA.