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Secretary General of NRC calls on IEA to scrap female worker ban
The head of a major aid group that suspended work in Afghanistan after the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) banned female NGO workers said on Thursday he would write to the administration’s senior figures in Kandahar and ask them to change the policy, Reuters reported.
Jan Egeland, the Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, said it was crucial to engage with the leadership in the southern city, home to the IEA’s supreme leader, Hebatullah Akhundzada.
“The letter I’m drafting will say: We know you, we worked in … areas controlled by the Taliban (IEA) for many years. You know us,” said Egeland.
“You know that our female staff have always used the hijab. They’ve had … a male chaperone on longer travel. Your people are suffering because of your ban on female workers.”
The IEA last month ordered all local and foreign aid groups to stop letting female staff work until further notice.
It said the move, which was condemned globally, was justified because some women had not adhered to the IEA’s interpretation of the Islamic dress code.
Many NGOs suspended operations in response, saying they needed female workers to reach women in the conservative country.
Egeland, who visited the capital Kabul this week, said officials there had told him they were in favor of women working at NGOs, but that the order had come from Kandahar. Spokespeople for the IEA administration did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Egeland said he had arranged meetings in Kandahar with the Ulema Council, made up of religious scholars, and the provincial governor, as it was not possible for foreign humanitarian agencies to meet directly with Akhundzada, Reuters reported.
But after bad weather halted flights, he said he would write instead and try to arrange online meetings.
He said he welcomed some signs of flexibility in health and others areas, where some female and male workers worked alongside each other. But he called for a full reversal of the ban.
“Our male staff cannot go to widows, single mothers and their children, to all of the vulnerable female groups here and thereby were prevented from doing all work,” he said.
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Floods in Nuristan kill dozens of livestock following heavy rain and hail
Residents said the storms and hail have caused serious damage to their livestock, worsening economic hardships for many families in the area.
Heavy rainfall and hailstorms in Kamdesh district of Nuristan province have caused severe flooding, killing dozens of livestock and leaving local families facing major financial losses, provincial officials said.
According to the Nuristan provincial media office, floods swept through Nangal village, killing around 70 animals, including cows, calves, goats, and sheep.
Residents said the storms and hail have caused serious damage to their livestock, worsening economic hardships for many families in the area. They have urged government authorities and aid organizations to provide urgent assistance.
The Nuristan provincial administration expressed concern over the incident, stating that relevant departments would assess the damage and take necessary steps to support affected households.
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Iran allegedly relocates aircraft to Pakistan and Afghanistan amid US strike fears: CBS Reports
The spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, denied the presence of Iranian aircraft in Afghanistan in comments to CBS News.
Iran is reported to have moved several military and civilian aircraft to Pakistan and Afghanistan, reportedly to safeguard them from potential US airstrikes, according to CBS News citing unnamed informed sources.
The report claimed that multiple Iranian military aircraft were spotted at Pakistan’s Nur Khan Air Base near Islamabad, including an RC-130 reconnaissance plane. Additionally, CBS News said Iran’s Mahan Air had transferred part of its civilian fleet to Kabul before the escalation of regional tensions, with aircraft later moved to Herat Airport amid clashes along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
However, Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, denied the presence of Iranian aircraft in Afghanistan in comments to CBS News. Pakistani officials also rejected claims that Iranian military planes were stationed at their airbases, describing the reports as inaccurate.
The situation underscores heightened regional security concerns as tensions continue to rise over potential US military action.
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UN warns hunger crisis in Afghanistan deepening, women and children most affected
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned that persistent funding shortfalls have sharply reduced supplies of specialized nutritional food crucial for treating malnourished women and children.
The United Nations has issued a stark warning that hunger and food insecurity are worsening in Afghanistan, with women and children facing the most severe consequences amid ongoing economic and humanitarian challenges.
According to UN agencies, Afghanistan continues to struggle with overlapping crises, including economic collapse, widespread unemployment, and climate-related shocks that have devastated livelihoods across the country. Rising regional tensions have also driven up food prices, putting additional pressure on vulnerable households.
“The little food we can afford we give to our children, but that is not enough,” said Raqiba Ahmadi, a resident of Faizabad city in northeastern Afghanistan. She added that her youngest daughter is recovering from malnutrition while her husband remains unemployed.
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned that persistent funding shortfalls have sharply reduced supplies of specialized nutritional food crucial for treating malnourished women and children.
Millions of Afghans remain at risk of severe hunger, prompting humanitarian organizations to call for sustained international support to prevent the situation from worsening further.
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