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UN refugee chief in Kabul to say Afghans are not forgotten

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The head of the UN refugee agency came to Kabul on Tuesday to tell Afghans they have not been forgotten — despite the devastation of Russia’s war on Ukraine and the unfolding humanitarian crisis unseen in Europe since World War II.

For Afghans, the message from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi was very much needed as they seek stability even as Afghanistan plunges deeper into poverty, seven months since the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) takeover in mid-August.

It was only last year that the world watched as young Afghan men clung to departing American aircraft, some falling to their death as a stream of refugees left the country. Now, a stunned international community watches as the refugee exodus from Ukraine topped 3 million on Tuesday.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Grandi said some have wondered at the timing of his trip. But even as the world’s attention has shifted, the crisis in Afghanistan is deep, he said in Kabul.

A report Tuesday from the UN organization coordinating humanitarian aid said that a staggering 96% of Afghanistan’s 38 million people do not have enough food.

In Kabul, Grandi met IEA leaders Tuesday and was to travel to southern Kandahar and eastern Nangarhar provinces before departing on Thursday. He acknowledged having seen progress since his last visit in September.

He said IEA leaders are establishing structures and developing strategies on how to tackle burning issues as they shift from war to governing and running day-to-day matters of state.

“I can see that they have gained more experience,” Grandi said, adding that this time, he had “a stronger impression of professional strategies in certain areas.”

His conversations were frank, Grandi said — he heard the IEA speak of support for girls education. That promise will be tested later this month, when Afghanistan’s new rulers have pledged to reopen schools for girls of all ages.

The IEA have also spoken to him about the rights of minorities and having women in the workforce. He welcomed the commitment and while women are still restricted in the jobs they do, they have returned to work in two sectors — health and education. And at Kabul’s international airport, women work in passport control and customs.

Grandi, however, also urged the international community to reach out to Afghanistan’s new rulers.

“I do hope that the international community does take note of both actual progress and good intentions, because they also have to make steps in the direction of the IEA, otherwise these intentions will not materialize,” he said.

Still Grandi said there is much to be done by the IEA and by the international community to keep Afghanistan peaceful and move the country from the state of a humanitarian disaster to a developing economy.

“There is progress but whether that progress is already felt in the country, I think it’s too early to say,” said Grandi.

But he warned that with the scope of the persisting humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, “so much suffering, so much hunger, so much despair … it will take time.” – AP

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Islamic Emirate’s army now self-sufficient, says chief of army staff

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Mohammad Fasihuddin Fitrat, Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces, says that over the past four years, the army forces of the Islamic Emirate have shown no hesitation in defending and protecting Afghanistan, and that today the country’s army is standing on its own feet.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Defense, Fitrat made these remarks at a meeting with media representatives, political analysts, and a number of government officials aimed at coordination and strengthening cooperation. He added: “Nations that cannot stand on their own feet and rely on others, even if they grow, will not be capable of achieving real progress.”

Fitrat also expressed appreciation for the role of the media in ensuring security and in supporting the country’s defense forces, stating: “We and you, as citizens of this land, must put our hands together and build the country together, take pride in our forces, and strive with all our strength for the country’s development. We have created an army that defends honor, territorial integrity, and the borders of the country, and serves as the guardian of our freedom.”

He emphasized that the Islamic Emirate is working to establish an army equipped with modern weapons so that it can defend the country’s territory under all circumstances.

He stated that the country’s army has proven to the people that anyone who looks at this land with ill intent will face a firm and courageous response, and that it has also been made clear to neighboring countries that any aggression against Afghanistan will be met with a response several times stronger.

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Afghan health minister attends second WHO summit in India

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Noor Jalal Jalali, the Minister of Public Health of the Islamic Emirate, participated in the second World Health Organization meeting on traditional medicine during his official visit to India.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Ministry of Public Health said that the meeting was held in India with the participation of representatives from around 100 countries, health ministers from 23 countries, professional experts from various nations, and officials from different departments of the World Health Organization.

During the meeting, discussions were held on the standardization of traditional medicine, training of individuals active in this field, recognition of traditional medicine as an established reality, and the sharing of countries’ experiences in this area.

The ministry stated that the purpose of participating in the conference was to standardize traditional medicine in Afghanistan, adding that for several decades this sector has been practiced in a non-standard manner and without a defined curriculum or clear principles.

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Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan boost trade and digital finance ties

Minister Sydykov, in turn, pledged the continuation of Kyrgyzstan’s humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and highlighted his country’s interest in working together on e-governance initiatives.

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Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs, Abdul Salam Hanafi, has met with a high-level Kyrgyz delegation led by Minister of Economy and Commerce Bakhyt Sydykov to discuss expanding bilateral trade and strengthening cooperation in digital financial services.

During the meeting, Hanafi reaffirmed Afghanistan’s readiness to deepen ties with Kyrgyzstan, stressing the importance of developing electronic administration systems and modern banking channels to facilitate trade and financial transactions between the two countries.

Minister Sydykov, in turn, pledged the continuation of Kyrgyzstan’s humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and highlighted his country’s interest in working together on e-governance initiatives. He also pointed to potential cooperation in areas such as the printing of securities and the development of electronic payment systems.

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