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Saudi sets quota for Hajj, only 13,000 Afghan pilgrims will attend this year
The Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs says that according to the quota set by Saudi Arabia for Afghanistan, the number of Afghan pilgrims will only be 13,000 this year.
A ministry spokesman meanwhile said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has set up a committee headed by Abdul Salam Hanafi, second deputy prime minister, to address urgent Hajj applicantions this year.
According to the spokesman, plans to transport Afghan pilgrims to Saudi Arabia will be completed within a month.
The ministry’s spokesman also stated that included in the 13,000 pilgrims will be those who registered for Hajj in the past few years.
Although the new government of Afghanistan has not yet been recognized by Saudi Arabia, it is providing consular services in Afghanistan to pilgrims.
“While the Afghan quota [processing] has been delayed, the ministry is able to provide services to all pilgrims and the committee that has been formed is to solve the problems of pilgrims,” said Fazl Mohammad Hussaini, spokesman for the Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs.
However, in addition to the low quota, the lack of teachers, medicine and a ban on flights are among the problems facing Hajj pilgrims this year.
In previous years, more than 30,000 Afghans attended Hajj annually, but in the past three years, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Saudi government has imposed severe restrictions and reduced quotas for countries.
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UK announces additional £3 million in aid for vulnerable people in Afghanistan
The United Kingdom has announced an additional £3 million (AFN 257 million) in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, aimed at supporting people affected by natural disasters and other shocks.
Richard Lindsay, in a post on X, said the funding will be used to provide essential nutrition supplies and related support to vulnerable populations.
The new allocation brings the UK’s total bilateral assistance to Afghanistan for the current financial year to £154 million (AFN 13.18 billion).
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Around 2.3 million tourists visited Afghanistan’s recreational areas during Eid: Ghufran
Khubaib Ghufran, spokesperson for the Ministry of Information and Culture, announced on Tuesday that over Eid al-Fitr holidays approximately 2.3 million domestic and foreign tourists visited the country’s recreational areas and natural attractions.
Ghufran said this level of tourist presence shows a significant increase compared to previous years and indicates growth and strengthening of the tourism sector.
Meanwhile, officials from the ministry’s departments, while emphasizing public cooperation in preserving the environment, maintaining cleanliness in public places, and protecting tourist attractions, stated that through extensive cooperation and efforts by security institutions, tourists were able to travel to different parts of the country with full confidence during the Eid holidays.
According to Ghufran, the Ministry of Information and Culture is working to develop and strengthen the tourism sector across the country and to provide more facilities and conveniences for tourists.
However, some tourists who traveled to various provinces praised the order, security, and hospitality of the people. They said that all provinces of Afghanistan have always been beautiful, but this year, with the current level of security and tourism facilities, their trips have become even more memorable.
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Berlin does not recognize IEA envoy as charge d’affaires of Afghan embassy
The German government has stated that it does not recognize a representative of the Islamic Emirate as ambassador or chargé d’affaires of the Afghan embassy in Berlin.
The response follows a report by German public broadcaster ARD, which claimed that Nebras-ul-Haq Aziz, an individual linked to the Islamic Emirate, had assumed leadership of the Afghan diplomatic mission in the German capital.
According to Deutsche Welle, a spokesperson for Germany’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday that no personnel changes at the Afghan embassy had been officially communicated. “The legal status of the embassy will remain unchanged,” the spokesperson added.
He further clarified that a diplomat can only be formally recognized as ambassador after being nominated by their home country and granted accreditation by the host government—procedures that have not taken place in this case.
The German Foreign Ministry also expressed its interest in maintaining regular Afghan consular services in Germany, adding that such services are important for facilitating “the return of individuals required to leave the country.”
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