Acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum Shehabuddin Delawar has said in a meeting with officials of a Chinese company that the export of raw minerals for processing abroad is no longer allowed.

He said the ministry will work with foreign mining companies as long as they also process the minerals in Afghanistan.

Delawar said this during a meeting with China’s state-owned company MCC Holoda, and Chinese officials from the company contracted to extract copper from Mes Aynak.

The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum said in a statement that MCC Holoda is one of the largest mining and processing companies in China for copper, lead and zinc.

According to the statement, the company has expressed an interest in investing in copper, lead and zinc mines in Afghanistan.

Delawar welcomed their interest and said there are lead and zinc mines in Bamyan, Kandahar and Ghor provinces, and if the company agrees to process minerals inside Afghanistan, the ministry will cooperate with it.

Delawar also discussed the Mes Aynak copper project and called for acceleration of work at the mine.

Afghanistan launched a polio vaccination campaign on Monday aimed at protecting around 10.72 million children under the age of 5, the Health Ministry announced.

The four-day campaign will cover 31 of the country’s 34 provinces.

Vaccinations in Ghor, Daikundi and Bamiyan provinces will be implemented later due to recent rains and cold weather, the ministry said in a statement.

“Together with our partners, we are committed to eradicating polio from Afghanistan,” said Dr Qalandar Ebad, the acting minister of public health.

“We will work tirelessly and continue polio vaccination campaigns and complementary health services until we reach the goal of fully eradicating polio.”

The ministry urged religious scholars and local elders to cooperate with vaccine providers to fight polio, a debilitating disease that can lead to paralysis and death.

In December, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the repatriation of migrants from neighboring Pakistan has increased the risk of spreading the virus. Since then, Afghanistan has conducted at least three rounds of nationwide vaccinations.

Vaccination campaigns in Afghanistan and Pakistan often face challenges due to conspiracy theories that polio vaccines cause infertility or that vaccinators are spies.

Mohammad Jamal Alsaati, Special Advisor to IsDB President and IsDB Coordinator for Afghanistan Humanitarian Trust Fund (AHTF), said this week that 14 projects, signed in 2023, have materialized at a total cost of $35.35 million.

He said in a statement issued Sunday that of this, $24.14 was from contributions from AHTF with a further $12.21 million provided by implementing partners and other international organizations.

Alsaati said all the services provided have created job and capacity building opportunities for the people of Afghanistan and that as of March 2024, pledges to the fund totaled almost $35 million, with more funding expected.

Alsaati’s comments were in a statement issued by the Islamic Development Bank, (IsDB), after it released the first comprehensive report on the achievements of the AHTF.

The report highlights the coordinated efforts by the IsDB, its partners, and stakeholders towards “Promoting Self Reliance and Resilience” in Afghanistan.

The AHTF’s mission is to provide initial humanitarian aid but then to prioritize development and self-reliance to move beyond emergency assistance – promoting reconstruction, empowerment and sustainable development.

IsDB President and Group Chairman, Muhammad Al Jasser meanwhile said following the release of the report that after receiving generous contributions, the AHTF “sprung into action, delivering essential aid to Afghanistan’s most vulnerable communities.”

He said the fund was able to tackle food insecurity, offer child nutrition programs, provide healthcare, innovative education, clean water, sanitation and hygiene services.

“Our projects are making a tangible difference on the ground,” Jasser said.

The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Hissein Brahim Taha also reacted to the report and said: “We are very pleased to see several humanitarian and development-focused projects are underway in Afghanistan – driven by the IsDB in collaboration with its regional and global partners.

“But much work still lies ahead, so we look forward to further help and support from our Member States, in addition to continued financial assistance for the AHTF from international aid and relief agencies,” said Taha.

The fund was established at a Council of Foreign Ministers of the OIC on 19th December 2021.