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MSF chief recalls 2015 Afghanistan hospital bombing, warns of rising attacks on healthcare
The head of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) International has warned that attacks on hospitals and healthcare facilities in conflict zones are increasing, despite global efforts to strengthen protections for medical missions following the bombing of an MSF hospital in Afghanistan a decade ago.
Speaking during a special session at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Laura Leyser, Secretary General of MSF International, recalled the international response to the 2015 U.S. airstrike on an MSF-run trauma hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, which prompted widespread condemnation and led to the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2286 on the protection of medical personnel and facilities in armed conflicts.
“There was a big outcry. There was an investigation,” Leyser said. “What has happened since, though, is not a reduction of these cases but, to the contrary, an increasing number of attacks on hospitals and clinics.”
Leyser said more than 1,300 attacks on healthcare facilities were recorded in conflict situations worldwide last year, adding that around 80 percent of those incidents were carried out by state actors.
She said the growing number of attacks has created fear among healthcare workers and humanitarian personnel operating in war zones, making it increasingly difficult to provide lifesaving assistance to civilians.
“This is the reality that civilians face on the ground, and it is the reality that humanitarian organizations such as ours face as well,” she said.
Leyser noted that medical workers in conflict areas often continue their work despite severe shortages of supplies and constant security threats. She said many healthcare staff are afraid to report to work because of the risks posed by ongoing violence.
The MSF chief called on governments and military leaders to ensure greater respect for international humanitarian law and to strengthen accountability for violations.
Her remarks came during discussions involving senior military and security officials from Pakistan, China, Malaysia, the Netherlands, South Korea and the International Committee of the Red Cross, who gathered at the Shangri-La Dialogue to examine challenges to global security, including regional conflicts, military competition, crisis management and emerging technologies.
Leyser urged participants to reflect on ways to uphold the minimum standards of international humanitarian law and reduce impunity for attacks on healthcare facilities and personnel during armed conflicts.
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Muttaqi and Iranian representative discuss expansion of bilateral relations
Amir Khan Muttaqi, Minister of Foreign Affairs, met on Wednesday with Mohammad Reza Bahrami, a representative of Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the sidelines of the eighth meeting of the Moscow Format and discussed ways to expand bilateral relations.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the two sides exchanged views on Afghanistan-Iran relations, regional developments, and ways to strengthen mutual cooperation between the two countries.
Muttaqi expressed appreciation for Iran’s engagement with Afghanistan and its constructive participation in regional meetings, emphasizing the need to further expand relations between Kabul and Tehran.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Reza Bahrami stressed the importance of relations between the two countries and shared Iran’s views on regional cooperation, stability, and expanding economic engagement between Afghanistan and Iran.
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British special forces could face prosecution over alleged Afghanistan crimes
The UK Ministry of Defence identified material suggesting that British service personnel may have committed “serious offences” in Afghanistan, including possible murder, manslaughter and grievous bodily harm, a High Court hearing in London was told.
The information was referred by UK Special Forces (UKSF) to the Defence Serious Crime Command earlier this year, The Independent reported.
According to the court, any criminal investigation into the allegations has been paused pending the outcome of the Afghanistan Inquiry.
The inquiry, chaired by Lord Justice Haddon-Cave, is examining allegations that UK special forces unlawfully killed people during operations in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2013, as well as claims of a subsequent cover-up.
It is also investigating allegations of inadequate investigations by the Royal Military Police.
The latest court proceedings relate to a senior British soldier, identified only as Witness IIA126, who is challenging the inquiry’s decision to restrict his and his lawyers’ access to certain evidence.
His lawyer, Kate Grange KC, argued that the restrictions had prevented the soldier from reviewing evidence concerning an allegation that a person was shot in the head while possibly asleep during a “deliberate detention operation.”
The inquiry is opposing the legal challenge, arguing that the restrictions were necessary to protect the identities of witnesses whose evidence was considered highly sensitive.
Jonathan Glasson KC, representing the inquiry, told the court that the discovery of material potentially indicating serious offences did not mean that any particular individual would necessarily face criminal charges.
The inquiry is expected to continue its examination of the allegations, with a written judgment on the latest legal challenge due at a later date.
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Afghan agriculture minister in Tashkent for international forum
Afghanistan’s Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, Attaullah Omari, has arrived in Uzbekistan’s capital, Tashkent, to attend an international forum on food security and sustainable development.
Omari is visiting Tashkent at the invitation of Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Agriculture and is scheduled to participate in the Global Technical Forum for Landlocked Countries on Food Security and Sustainable Development Goals, being held from October 7 to 8.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Agriculture said the visit will provide an opportunity to discuss expanding bilateral and regional cooperation with Uzbekistan in agriculture, irrigation, livestock, trade and investment.
The Afghan delegation is also expected to meet officials and representatives from participating countries to discuss agricultural exports, trade, investment opportunities, and the exchange of technical knowledge and expertise.
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