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UN downplays absence of special envoys at meeting with Afghan women, civil society in Doha
Afghan women and civil society representatives had been barred from the formal two-day meeting, which included a delegation from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA).
The United Nations spokesperson for the secretary-general Stéphane Dujarric has downplayed the absence of many special envoys at their meeting with Afghan civil society representatives in Doha on Tuesday.
Dujarric said the UN is not in a position to tell country representatives which meeting to attend.
This comes after the UN Under-Secretary General Rosemary DiCarlo met separately with civil society members on Tuesday after the two-day special envoys meeting on Afghanistan in Doha wrapped up Monday.
Afghan women and civil society representatives had been barred from the formal two-day meeting, which included a delegation from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA).
Dujarric also stated the third Doha meeting had not been an intra-Afghan meeting.
The exclusion of women and civil society representatives from the formal meeting had become a topic of debate over the past few days with critics lashing out at the UN for not having demanded clear and measurable steps toward the restoration and protection of women’s rights as a crucial initial step toward engagement.
The Diplomat reports that instead, UN leadership has shown it is prepared to treat the fundamental human rights of half of Afghanistan’s population as a mere afterthought.
Dujarric meanwhile said that each special envoy could talk about human rights, women’s rights and the issue of drugs.
He added that DiCarlo and Roza Otunbayeva, head of UNAMA, had raised the issue of women in the formal meeting and in their previous meetings in Kabul with the Islamic Emirate.
Dujarric emphasized that the issue of women and human rights is something that the United Nations deals with every day and is at the top of all the discussions of this organization.
On Tuesday, DiCarlo said at a press conference that there “really is a need to build trust on all sides”.
She said it was important to have dialogue “that’s built on honesty”.
“It’s got to be based on principles, those of the UN Charter, and various human rights treaties that Afghanistan is a party to.”
She also stated: “Human rights and especially the rights of women and girls , and inclusion of all members of society will continue to be an integral part of our discussions.”
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Football fans across Afghanistan can watch Tottenham Hotspur take on Charlton Athletic live on Ariana Television Network (ATN) tonight, Wednesday, August 26, with coverage beginning at 23:15 Kabul time.
The two London clubs meet in the second round of the EFL Cup, with Tottenham looking to progress while Charlton will aim to produce an upset against their Premier League opponents.
Tottenham enter the match as favourites on paper, with their greater top-flight experience expected to make them the stronger side. However, cup football can produce surprises, and Charlton will be looking to take advantage of any opportunity at their disposal.
The match provides Tottenham with another chance to build momentum early in the season, while Charlton will see the tie as an opportunity to test themselves against one of England’s biggest clubs.
The EFL Cup remains an important route to silverware for clubs across the English football pyramid, with teams aiming to advance through each round toward the final at Wembley.
Afghanistan fans can watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Charlton Athletic live tonight on Ariana Television, from 23:15 Kabul time.
The United Nations has warned that around one million children in Afghanistan are suffering from life-threatening severe acute malnutrition and could die without urgent treatment.
UNICEF said on Tuesday that about 3.7 million children across Afghanistan are suffering from wasting, a condition caused by acute malnutrition.
Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF’s representative in Afghanistan, said around one million of these children are suffering from severe acute malnutrition, which is considered the most dangerous form of acute hunger.
“If there is no treatment and we are not able to act fast, that one million number are at risk of dying,” Oyewale said during a media briefing in Geneva, speaking from Kabul.
He said the nutrition crisis is worsening across the country, with more than 500,000 children requiring hospital care so far this year for moderate and severe wasting.
According to UNICEF, nearly 40 percent of children admitted to hospitals with severe wasting and medical complications are babies younger than six months. Children under the age of two account for more than 80 percent of severe acute malnutrition cases.
Oyewale said malnutrition is playing a major role in the increasing number of deaths among very young children in Afghanistan.
The situation has also placed growing pressure on hospitals. In July last year, around 6,000 severe malnutrition cases were recorded, while the number rose by about one-third to more than 8,000 cases by July this year.
“In parts of southern Afghanistan, some hospitals are now seeing three or four severely malnourished children for every available bed,” Oyewale said.
Kabul Municipality says the districts of Bagrami and Chahar Asyab will be incorporated into Kabul city as part of a broader plan to expand and develop the capital.
Nematullah Barakzai, a Kabul Municipality official, told the BBC that Kabul has experienced significant growth in recent years, both through the expansion of the city’s boundaries and the construction of high-rise buildings.
“Kabul is not only growing vertically, but it has also seen considerable horizontal expansion, which can be observed on Google Maps,” Barakzai said. “Kabul currently has 22 municipal districts, and Bagrami and Chahar Asyab are also expected to be incorporated into the city.”
The municipality has not yet announced a specific timeline for implementing the plan.
Bagrami is located about 15 kilometers from central Kabul, while Chahar Asyab lies south of the capital and serves as one of the main routes connecting Kabul with Afghanistan’s southern provinces.
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