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Russia voices concern over Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis, urges return of frozen assets
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has expressed concern over what she described as the “difficult humanitarian situation” in Afghanistan, citing high infant mortality rates and the spread of polio.
Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, Zakharova said that according to the World Health Organization (WHO), 21 polio cases were recorded between 2025 and 2026 in areas between Afghanistan’s and Pakistan.
She claimed that Afghan children under the age of 10 had limited access to vaccination, saying only 5–7% had been vaccinated. Zakharova also highlighted Afghanistan’s neonatal mortality rate, saying it stood at 33.1 deaths per 1,000 live births, which she described as nearly twice the global average.
She said infant deaths in Afghanistan were mainly linked to premature births and insufficient access to breast milk or nutritional substitutes.
Zakharova blamed what she called the “politicization of international humanitarian assistance” by Western countries for the humanitarian challenges in Afghanistan. She criticized US and allies sanctions against Kabul, saying they affected the most vulnerable segments of Afghan society, particularly children and newborns.
“International funding for humanitarian programs in Afghanistan is declining,” Zakharova said, adding that the freezing of Afghan banking assets had limited the government’s ability to finance crisis response measures.
She called on Western countries to return Afghanistan’s frozen assets and stop what she described as the “artificial politicization” of humanitarian aid to the country.
Zakharova added that Russia would continue providing humanitarian assistance to Afghans, including through relevant international organizations.
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CSTO says Afghanistan remains a key security priority
Vasilyev said a joint program to strengthen security along the border has already been launched, with CSTO member states currently assessing Tajikistan’s security requirements.
The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) says the situation in Afghanistan remains a major focus for its member states, with regional security developments in the country continuing to be closely monitored.
Speaking in an interview with Russian state news agency RIA, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the CSTO, Vladimir Vasilyev, said the organization’s primary concern is the security situation along the Tajikistan–Afghanistan border.
Vasilyev said a joint program to strengthen security along the border has already been launched, with CSTO member states currently assessing Tajikistan’s security requirements, including the equipment and resources needed to support the initiative.
He did not provide further details on the timeline for the program’s implementation or the scale of assistance to be provided, but stressed that Afghanistan remains a key topic in the organization’s ongoing regional security consultations.
The CSTO, a Russia-led regional security alliance, has repeatedly highlighted the importance of strengthening border security in Central Asia amid concerns over regional stability.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), however, has consistently maintained that it will not allow any individual or group to use Afghan territory to threaten or carry out activities against neighbouring countries.
The United States has warned that the threat posed by terrorist groups, including ISIL-Khorasan (ISIL-K), remains a major concern, with instability continuing to provide opportunities for militant organizations to expand.
Speaking at a UN Security Council briefing on threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts, Tammy Bruce, Deputy Representative of the United States to the United Nations, said on Wednesday countering ISIL, al-Qaida and their affiliates remains a key priority for Washington.
“These groups continue to exploit instability — as evidenced by al-Qaida’s gains in the Sahel, ISIL’s growing focus on Africa, and the persistent threat from ISIL-K in Afghanistan,” Bruce said.
The remarks come as Afghan authorities have repeatedly rejected claims that terrorist organizations are operating from Afghanistan and said they will not allow the country’s territory to be used against other nations.
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Kuwait fund signs $5 million in humanitarian grants for Afghanistan, Syria
Under the agreements, $2.5 million will be allocated to the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund and another $2.5 million to the Syria Humanitarian Fund.
The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) signed two grant agreements worth a combined $5 million with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Thursday to support humanitarian operations in Afghanistan and Syria.
Under the agreements, $2.5 million will be allocated to the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund and another $2.5 million to the Syria Humanitarian Fund.
KFAED said the grants will help finance urgent humanitarian programs and projects aimed at addressing critical needs and providing life-saving assistance to vulnerable and affected communities.
The funding will also enable the OCHA-managed humanitarian funds in Afghanistan and Syria to respond more rapidly and flexibly to emergencies, support humanitarian partners on the ground and improve coordination of relief operations.
According to KFAED, the latest agreements reflect Kuwait’s continued commitment to international humanitarian efforts and bring its total contributions to joint projects with OCHA to approximately $16.1 million.
The agreements were signed by KFAED Acting Director General Rashid Al-Bader and OCHA representative in Saudi Arabia Mohammad Zaid.
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