Latest News
Norwegian Refugee Council cuts back on essential humanitarian services in Afghanistan
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said Tuesday it is forced to cut back on services in Afghanistan due to the cuts in aid by Donald Trump, the president of the United States.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Suze van Meegen, N RC’s interim country director in Afghanistan said: “At a time when men, women and children in Afghanistan urgently need international funding and support, NRC and our partners are facing drastic funding cuts from key donors.
“This situation leaves us with no choice but to make untenable reductions in our services, further jeopardising vital lifelines for the most vulnerable and impoverished communities.”
She said like many humanitarian organisations, NRC Afghanistan has been forced to close offices in several provinces and lay off many dedicated and professional humanitarian staff, with a particularly adverse impact on female aid workers.
“These funding cuts have far-reaching consequences. They extend from communities that have lost access to basic assistance to thousands of experienced Afghan staff that have lost their livelihoods,” van Meegen said.
The NRC warned that wide-ranging cuts in aid will lead to a diminishing footprint of humanitarian agencies in Afghanistan and leave the lives of millions on an increasingly dangerous trajectory, affecting women and children most adversely
In January, Trump suspended ongoing aid projects which forced the majority of US-funded humanitarian work to be put on hold or end. Other donor governments – including Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom – have since also announced that their global aid budgets will be reduced in the coming years, foreshadowing a significant drop in the assistance available to the world’s most vulnerable.
“This is the most challenging situation that NRC Afghanistan has faced in its 22 years in the country. However, I want to emphasise that NRC Afghanistan is not shutting down its operations. We remain committed to staying in Afghanistan to support displaced women, men and children and to ensure that communities affected by decades of war are not left behind,” said van Meegen.
The NRC said that since January, it has been forced to close two of its community resource centres, with two more at risk without suitable funding in the coming month.
The centres have been crucial in supporting returning and internally displaced Afghans, providing assistance with housing, food, legal assistance and referrals to healthcare providers, particularly for Afghan women who are heading their families and depend on female-to-female aid.
The loss of female aid workers across the country is further restricting women and children’s access to essential services, reinforcing the conditions that prevent them from enjoying their basic rights, the NRC said.
Van Meegen said: “To prevent catastrophic damage in Afghanistan, the international community needs to step up and commit to supporting a population that has faced decades of war and neglect.”
The NRC has been present in Afghanistan since 2003, delivering key services with the support of its donors, directly delivering assistance to people in need.
This includes providing shelter and protection services to displaced Afghans and those returning from neighbouring countries.
According to the UN’s latest findings, almost 22.3 million Afghans need humanitarian assistance and 1 in 3 Afghans (more than 14 million people) do not know where their next meal will come from.
In 2024, the United States contributed just under $742 million to Afghanistan’s $1.72 billion Humanitarian Response Plan – this equalled 43.4%.
The 2025 humanitarian response plan for Afghanistan is currently just 13.3%, according to UNOCHA.
Latest News
Bayat Foundation donates hundreds of tents to earthquake victims in Samangan
As part of its ongoing humanitarian assistance, Bayat Foundation has distributed hundreds of tents to families affected by the earthquake in the Khulm and Feroz Nakhchir districts of Samangan province.
Officials from the foundation said their humanitarian efforts will continue and that more affected families will receive assistance.
Hujatullah Noori, a representative of Bayat Foundation, said: “Today, Bayat Foundation is distributing 100 tents to the victims of the recent earthquake in Khulm and Feroz Nakhchir districts of Samangan.”
Currently, the most urgent needs of those affected by the earthquake are shelter, house reconstruction, food, and medicine—assistance that victims emphasize is essential.
One victim said: “Our life has been devastated. We thank the Bayat Foundation for standing with us and bringing us tents.”
Another added: “The earthquake destroyed our entire house. We are asking for more help. We hope the Bayat Foundation continues its support and helps rebuild people’s homes.”
Local officials in Khulm district also welcomed the Bayat Foundation’s humanitarian assistance, describing its role in supporting disaster victims and reducing poverty as significant.
According to the Khulm district governor, the recent earthquake completely destroyed 200 residential houses and partially damaged more than 1,000 others in the district. The quake also left nine people dead and 60 injured.
Latest News
Pakistan urges Islamic Emirate to relocate TTP to Afghanistan, sources say
Sources in Turkey have told Ariana News that the Afghan delegation at the Istanbul talks shared its views with the mediators, but the Pakistani side raised certain demands that have no connection to Afghanistan.
According to the sources, the Islamabad delegation asked Afghanistan to relocate the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) group from Pakistan into Afghanistan.
The sources added that it is weird that, on one hand, Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of sheltering TTP members within its territory, yet on the other hand, it is itself requesting the transfer of such groups like the TTP into Afghanistan.
The sources emphasized that Afghanistan never wishes to create a major problem for itself under pressure.
According to the sources, the legitimate demands of the Islamic Emirate that Pakistan’s territory and airspace not be used by other country or by Daesh against Afghanistan — have not been accepted by Islamabad.
This comes as Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Tahir Andrabi said that a new round of talks with the Islamic Emirate began yesterday in Istanbul, during which the Pakistani delegation presented its evidence-based demands to the mediators with the aim of ending militant attacks.
Andrabi said at a press conference on Friday that the mediators are currently holding discussions with IEA regarding Pakistan’s demands.
Latest News
IEA ambassador in Moscow discusses role of ICC with Russian representative
Gul Hassan Hassan, the Ambassador of the Islamic Emirate to Russia, met with Ilya Rogachev, the Special Representative of the President of Russia for International Criminal and Legal Cooperation, to discuss the role and position of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
According to a statement released by the Afghan Embassy in Moscow, the two sides exchanged views on issues related to the International Criminal Court, including its activities, status, and role as an international institution.
The statement added that the recent decisions of the ICC were also reviewed during the meeting.
It has been reported that Anton Lavrov, Head of the Afghanistan Department in the Second Asian Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was also present at the meeting.
This meeting comes after the Islamic Emirate previously announced the cancellation of Afghanistan’s membership in the Court, stating that history has shown the ICC acts based on political motives rather than the principles of justice and fairness.
ICC is an independent judicial body established to address serious international crimes such as genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
The Court operates under the Rome Statute and its jurisdiction applies only to countries that have accepted this statute.
-
Sport4 days agoAfghanistan to face Tajikistan in Islamic Solidarity Games futsal opener
-
Sport2 days agoRasooli to lead Afghanistan in Rising Stars Asia Cup 2025 Defense
-
Sport4 days agoAfghanistan futsal team thrashes Tajikistan 9–5 in ISG opener
-
Sport4 days agoTrott and Afghanistan to part ways after 2026 T20 World Cup
-
Regional5 days agoPakistan set to deploy first Chinese-built submarine in 2026 under $5 billion deal
-
Latest News3 days agoAfghan foreign ministry rejects Pakistan’s claim of multiple calls from Muttaqi
-
Sport2 days agoAfghanistan to face Iran in Islamic Solidarity Games futsal clash
-
Latest News5 days agoWhy is Afghanistan so prone to earthquakes?
