At least seven people, including one Chinese national, were killed in an explosion at a restaurant in downtown Kabul on Monday, according to city police.

Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran said the blast occurred at a joint Chinese-Afghan restaurant known as Chinese Noodle, located in the Shahr-e-Naw area of Kabul. Several other people were wounded in the incident and were taken to hospital for treatment.

Zadran said the restaurant was operated by a Chinese Muslim national, Abdul Majid, along with his wife and an Afghan partner identified as Abdul Jabbar Mahmoud. Abdul Majid is from China’s Xinjiang region, and the restaurant was known for serving dishes catering to Chinese Muslim customers.

According to police, a Chinese national named Ayub, also a Muslim, and six Afghan citizens were killed in the blast. The explosion reportedly occurred near the restaurant’s kitchen area.

Authorities said the cause of the explosion has not yet been determined. Security forces have sealed off the area and launched an investigation to establish the nature of the blast and whether it was accidental or deliberate.

Police said further details will be released once investigations are completed.

Officials from Afghanistan’s National Disaster Preparedness Authority (NDPA) have confirmed that a 500-kilogram bomb, leftover from past conflicts, was safely defused in Enjil district, Herat province, averting a potential humanitarian disaster.

According to the NDPA, the device was discovered after local residents alerted emergency services.

Technical teams, along with operational units from the international demining organization HALO Trust, coordinated with relevant authorities to carry out the delicate operation.

Following a thorough assessment, the bomb was removed from the residential area and transported to an uninhabited location, where it was destroyed in full compliance with safety standards.

Officials emphasized that rapid coordination and adherence to protocols prevented what could have been a deadly incident.

Authorities said the bomb was initially found when a resident came across it while digging the foundation for a house. The swift response of the NDPA and partner organizations ensured the safety of the surrounding community.

The National Disaster Preparedness Authority praised public vigilance and urged citizens to immediately report any unexploded ordnance or suspicious objects from previous conflicts to emergency numbers, so that timely and safe action can be taken.

The United Nations has warned that Afghanistan is facing a deepening food security crisis, with an estimated 17.4 million people expected to experience acute hunger in 2026, more than one-third of the country’s population.

In its latest assessment, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said 4.7 million people are projected to fall into emergency levels of food insecurity, marking a significant deterioration compared with last year.

OCHA warned that Afghanistan is set to remain one of the world’s largest and most complex humanitarian crises in 2026.

The agency attributed the worsening situation to a combination of persistent challenges, including a fragile economy, the impacts of climate change, recurring droughts, natural disasters, prolonged conflict and chronic underinvestment in basic services. These pressures, the report said, have been further compounded by the large-scale return of migrants from neighbouring countries and growing food shortages.

“An estimated 17.4 million people—more than one-third of the population—are expected to face acute food insecurity in 2026, including millions in emergency conditions,” OCHA said, describing the outlook as significantly worse than the previous year.

At the same time, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) announced the launch of a Joint Sustainable Solutions Project in eastern Afghanistan.

The initiative is being implemented in partnership with nine organizations and is funded through the Afghanistan Special Trust Fund. It aims to support returning migrants who arrive with limited assets and few livelihood opportunities.

UNDP said the project will focus on strengthening local livelihoods, improving resilience and supporting community-based solutions. Empowerment of women and girls will be a central component, particularly for those facing severe social and economic barriers in their daily lives.

OCHA has previously warned that nearly 22 million people in Afghanistan are likely to require humanitarian assistance in 2026, as aid agencies contend with funding shortfalls, rising hunger levels and the continued influx of returnees.

Humanitarian organizations have renewed calls for sustained international support, warning that without adequate funding and long-term investment, food insecurity and poverty are likely to worsen further across the country.