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More than 500 feared dead after boats sink off Myanmar coast, UN says
Two boats carrying more than 500 people may have capsized off the coast of Myanmar in recent days, UN agencies said on Thursday, as refugees from the war-torn country continue to make perilous maritime journeys in search of safety and better opportunities.
“According to preliminary information, the two vessels departed from Myanmar’s Rakhine State in late June carrying mostly Rohingya passengers, reportedly including some who had travelled from refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh,” the International Organization for Migration and the UN Refugee Agency said in a joint statement, saying more than 500 were feared dead, Reuters reported.
“While the incidents and casualty figures have yet to be officially confirmed, UNHCR and IOM are gravely concerned by the potentially devastating loss of life.”
Members of Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslim minority for years have risked their lives on flimsy wooden vessels, driven by violence at home and desperate conditions in crowded refugee camps in Bangladesh, hoping to reach safety and opportunity in countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia or Thailand.
With around 250 people onboard, the first boat lost contact shortly after departure and a second vessel carrying around 280 people is believed to have sunk off Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady coast on July 8, the UN agencies said.
“These journeys took place outside the regular sailing season, when maritime conditions are typically more hazardous,” the statement said.
The agencies said that nearly 300 people are reported to be missing or dead in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal this year, including Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals.
A one-day seminar for around 800 security and traffic police personnel was held in Kandahar on the instructions of Sheikh Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Emirate, according to the Kandahar governor’s office.
The event brought together senior officials, including Minister of Hajj and Religious Affairs Noor Mohammad Saqib, Minister of Justice Abdul Hakim Sharaee, Kandahar Governor Mullah Mohammad Shirin Akhund, and a number of provincial officials.
According to the governor’s office, the seminar combined practical instruction on checkpoint procedures with religious and administrative guidance. Participants received training on carrying out their duties, interacting respectfully with the public, administering checkpoints in accordance with regulations, upholding justice, adhering to Sharia, maintaining unity among security personnel, cooperating with officials from the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, and avoiding disputes and misconduct.
Addressing the gathering, Governor Mohammad Shirin Akhund said the Islamic Emirate had been established to “implement Sharia, ensure security, and uphold justice,” adding that officials were working to achieve those objectives.
He stressed that the success of the Islamic Emirate depends on “a single leadership, obedience, and unity,” and urged security personnel to remain loyal to the leadership, preserve unity, coordinate closely with their superiors, and perform their duties with discipline and cooperation.
The governor also instructed security forces to safeguard public security, operate checkpoints in line with established procedures, and treat citizens with courtesy and respect.
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UN chief appoints Bangladesh’s Rabab Fatima as new UNAMA head in Afghanistan
Fatima currently serves as the UN’s Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Rabab Fatima of Bangladesh as his new Special Representative for Afghanistan and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
According to a statement issued by the UN spokesperson’s office on Wednesday, Fatima will succeed Roza Otunbayeva of Kyrgyzstan, who has led the mission in Afghanistan in recent years.
Guterres expressed his appreciation for Otunbayeva’s dedicated service and also thanked Georgette Gagnon of Canada, UNAMA’s Deputy Special Representative, who is currently serving as Officer-in-Charge of the mission.
Fatima currently serves as the UN’s Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States.
The UN said Fatima brings more than three decades of experience in national and international public service, including bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, policymaking, advocacy, and programme planning and implementation.
Before assuming her current UN role, Fatima served as Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York from 2019 to 2022. During her tenure, she chaired the executive boards of UNICEF and UN Women, became the first woman elected Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission in 2022, and also served as a Vice President of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly.
Her appointment comes as UNAMA continues to play a central role in coordinating international engagement and humanitarian efforts in Afghanistan.
The fifth meeting of the Afghanistan-Iran Joint Consular Committee was held in Kabul on Wednesday, co-chaired by Mohammad Naeem, Deputy Minister for Finance and Administration at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Vahid Jalalzadeh, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Consular Affairs.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate, the two sides held detailed discussions on the challenges facing migrants, consular services, and other related issues, and exchanged views on matters of mutual interest and shared concern.
The two sides also agreed to continue holding the Joint Consular Committee’s meetings on a regular basis to strengthen coordination in addressing existing challenges and to expand bilateral consular cooperation.
Seminar held for hundreds of security and traffic police personnel in Kandahar
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More than 500 feared dead after boats sink off Myanmar coast, UN says
UN chief appoints Bangladesh’s Rabab Fatima as new UNAMA head in Afghanistan
Fifth Afghanistan-Iran Joint Consular Committee meeting held in Kabul
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