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UN-led Doha meeting with IEA not about recognition, says UN
The UN-led meeting aims to engage with the Islamic Emirate on various issues including engagement going forward, along with sessions on private sector business and counter-narcotics.
A United Nations-led meeting with Afghanistan’s Islamic Emirate (IEA) in Qatar this weekend will not be a discussion about international recognition of the group, the UN political affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo said on Wednesday.
The meeting, which will also be attended by envoys from some 25 countries, will be the third such meeting in Doha and gets underway on June 30.
It will however be the first time the IEA attends the meeting.
“This is not a meeting about recognition. This is not a meeting to lead to recognition … Having engagement doesn’t mean recognition,” DiCarlo told reporters.
“This isn’t about the Taliban (Islamic Emirate). This is about Afghanistan and the people.”
The UN-led meeting aims to engage with the Islamic Emirate on various issues including engagement going forward, along with sessions on private sector business and counter-narcotics.
This UN official also says that the work on appointing a UN special representative for Afghanistan is currently pending and will not be discussed in the Doha meeting.
According to DiCarlo, for this, the support of all 15 members of the Security Council of this organization is needed, but the issue of appointing a special representative for Afghanistan is not over, and she wants the United Nations to take steps in this regard.
It was expected that the appointment of a special representative would also be discussed at the third Doha meeting.
Meanwhile, Roza Otunbayeva, the head of the United Nations Deputy Mission in Afghanistan or UNAMA met with Amir Khan Muttaqi, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs in Kabul and discussed the points of the agenda and other issues including the composition of the delegation of the Islamic Emirate at the Doha meeting.
In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the head of UNAMA was quoted as saying she considered the Doha meeting to be a suitable opportunity for the parties to express their views on issues related to Afghanistan.
Matthew Miller, the spokesperson of the United States Department of State, says that the US special representatives for Afghanistan, Thomas West and Rina Amiri, will participate in the third Doha meeting, and the purpose of the US presence in this meeting is to emphasize the need for the current government of Afghanistan to fulfill its commitments.
“America will participate in this meeting. Both our special representative for Afghanistan, Thomas West, and the US special representative for Afghan women and girls, Rina Amiri, will participate in this meeting.
“We participate in this meeting to pressure the Taliban (Islamic Emirate) together with the international community to fulfill their obligations to the Doha Agreement, including their behavior towards women,” said Miller.
Previously, Rina Amiri, the US special representative for women, girls and human rights in Afghanistan, said that until the issue of human rights is included in the agenda of the future talks in Afghanistan, conflicts will continue in this country.
Rights groups have however criticized the UN for not having Afghan women at the table with the Islamic Emirate in Doha.
But UN officials and the country envoys attending the meeting are due to meet separately with Afghan civil society groups.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the IEA’s spokesman, will lead Afghanistan’s delegation to the meeting.
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Water crisis deepens in Afghanistan as families struggle for access
Traditional sources such as wells and karezes—underground channels that have sustained communities for generations—are now under severe strain.
As the world marks World Water Day, Afghanistan is facing a worsening water crisis, with millions of people struggling to access safe and reliable supplies.
Years of drought, declining rainfall, rapid population growth and the return of families from neighbouring countries have placed increasing pressure on already fragile water systems.
Traditional sources such as wells and karezes—underground channels that have sustained communities for generations—are now under severe strain.
In many rural areas, families are forced to rely on unsafe surface water or travel long distances to meet daily needs. Women and children are most affected, often spending hours each day collecting water.
Urban centres, including Kabul, Mazar-e-Sharif and Kandahar, are also grappling with shortages. Rapid population growth and unregulated groundwater extraction have led to significant depletion, leaving many households dependent on private wells or water deliveries.
The situation in Kandahar is particularly severe. Reports indicate that numerous wells have dried up, while others have dropped to depths of more than 100 metres.
Local community leader Fazil Rahman described water shortages as the most pressing challenge in his area, noting that even deep boreholes are failing to produce sufficient supply. He added that the crisis is disrupting education and livelihoods, as children are often forced to spend hours fetching water instead of attending school.
In response, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), in partnership with the Urban Water Supply and Sewage State-Owned Corporation, launched a water infrastructure project in Kandahar in 2025. The initiative aims to improve access for more than 100,000 residents through expanded pipelines, new household connections and solar-powered pumping systems.
The ICRC has also upgraded a major water pumping station in Herat, now supplying water to more than 400,000 people through tens of thousands of household connections.
Beyond urban areas, water scarcity is also affecting agriculture, the backbone of many rural livelihoods. Reduced irrigation has led to lower crop yields and increased risks of food insecurity and malnutrition.
To support affected communities, the ICRC has rehabilitated irrigation canals, karezes and flood protection systems in several provinces, including projects in Parwan Province.
Despite these efforts, humanitarian organisations warn that aid alone will not be enough. Long-term investment in infrastructure, improved water management and stronger policies will be essential to address the crisis.
Without sustained and coordinated action, experts caution that water shortages could continue to threaten public health, food security and stability across Afghanistan.
The International Crisis Group (ICG) has warned that rising tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan risk spiralling into further deadly conflict unless both sides return to dialogue.
In a recent statement, the organisation said last week’s strike on a hospital in Kabul marked a significant escalation, pushing already strained relations closer to direct confrontation. Analysts say ongoing exchanges of airstrikes and artillery fire have heightened fears of a broader regional crisis.
The attack on a major drug rehabilitation hospital in the Afghan capital reportedly killed more than 400 people and injured at least 265, drawing international concern.
Islamabad has accused Kabul of allowing militant groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), to operate from its territory—an allegation Afghan authorities deny. Kabul has instead condemned Pakistan’s military actions as violations of its sovereignty.
The ICG warned that current trends point to an escalating cycle of violence that could result in significant military costs with little strategic gain for Pakistan.
At the same time, the group noted that the fighting has further isolated Afghanistan diplomatically.
While several countries expressed condolences following the 16 March strike, there has been limited international condemnation of Pakistan’s actions, alongside increasing calls for Kabul to curb militant activity within its borders.
The organisation stressed the urgent need for international support to help both countries rebuild trust and address shared security threats. Without renewed engagement, it cautioned, further deadly violence appears unavoidable.
Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, said that a mortar shell of the Pakistani military regime hit Shanpat area of Nari district of Kunar province at 9:30 am on Sunday, killing one civilian and wounding another.
The injured person is a woman, he said.
Pakistani forces also opened fire on a civilian vehicle in Shakin district of Paktika province, but no casualties were reported, Fitrat said.
The Pakistani government had earlier announced that it would halt its attacks on Afghanistan until Monday night on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.
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