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UN, several nations pledge aid to Afghanistan after major earthquake
The United Nations and several countries are lining up aid for Afghanistan after a devastating 6.3 magnitude earthquake in the northwest killed more than 2,000 people, Reuters reported.
Below are some facts about the pledges so far, as U.N. agencies try to assess the damage and casualties in Herat province in northwestern Afghanistan.
The U.N. humanitarian coordinator has approved a $5 million emergency reserve allocation from the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund (AHF).
It said its Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) will launch and fully process the allocation within 24 hours, with eligible partners able to utilize their grants effective from Oct. 9.
The AHF allocations will be depend on receiving additional donor resources, it said, adding that the U.N. partners will also develop an emergency appeal which will be a subset of the existing 2023 humanitarian response plan.
Pakistan, Iran and China have pledged to send in food, blankets, medicines, tents and funds, read the report.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Anwar ul Haq Kakar said that Kabul had specifically asked for medical teams, field hospitals, tents and blankets, adding that all the requested items were being dispatched on Monday afternoon, with more relief goods to follow.
Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Abdullahian promised humanitarian aid and expressed his readiness to cooperate with Afghanistan, according to a statement.
The Chinese Red Cross Society has pledged $200,000 in aid which will go to the Afghan Red Crescent, according to Chinese state run news agency Xinhua.
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CSTO says Afghanistan remains a key security priority
Vasilyev said a joint program to strengthen security along the border has already been launched, with CSTO member states currently assessing Tajikistan’s security requirements.
The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) says the situation in Afghanistan remains a major focus for its member states, with regional security developments in the country continuing to be closely monitored.
Speaking in an interview with Russian state news agency RIA, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the CSTO, Vladimir Vasilyev, said the organization’s primary concern is the security situation along the Tajikistan–Afghanistan border.
Vasilyev said a joint program to strengthen security along the border has already been launched, with CSTO member states currently assessing Tajikistan’s security requirements, including the equipment and resources needed to support the initiative.
He did not provide further details on the timeline for the program’s implementation or the scale of assistance to be provided, but stressed that Afghanistan remains a key topic in the organization’s ongoing regional security consultations.
The CSTO, a Russia-led regional security alliance, has repeatedly highlighted the importance of strengthening border security in Central Asia amid concerns over regional stability.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), however, has consistently maintained that it will not allow any individual or group to use Afghan territory to threaten or carry out activities against neighbouring countries.
The United States has warned that the threat posed by terrorist groups, including ISIL-Khorasan (ISIL-K), remains a major concern, with instability continuing to provide opportunities for militant organizations to expand.
Speaking at a UN Security Council briefing on threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts, Tammy Bruce, Deputy Representative of the United States to the United Nations, said on Wednesday countering ISIL, al-Qaida and their affiliates remains a key priority for Washington.
“These groups continue to exploit instability — as evidenced by al-Qaida’s gains in the Sahel, ISIL’s growing focus on Africa, and the persistent threat from ISIL-K in Afghanistan,” Bruce said.
The remarks come as Afghan authorities have repeatedly rejected claims that terrorist organizations are operating from Afghanistan and said they will not allow the country’s territory to be used against other nations.
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Kuwait fund signs $5 million in humanitarian grants for Afghanistan, Syria
Under the agreements, $2.5 million will be allocated to the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund and another $2.5 million to the Syria Humanitarian Fund.
The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) signed two grant agreements worth a combined $5 million with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Thursday to support humanitarian operations in Afghanistan and Syria.
Under the agreements, $2.5 million will be allocated to the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund and another $2.5 million to the Syria Humanitarian Fund.
KFAED said the grants will help finance urgent humanitarian programs and projects aimed at addressing critical needs and providing life-saving assistance to vulnerable and affected communities.
The funding will also enable the OCHA-managed humanitarian funds in Afghanistan and Syria to respond more rapidly and flexibly to emergencies, support humanitarian partners on the ground and improve coordination of relief operations.
According to KFAED, the latest agreements reflect Kuwait’s continued commitment to international humanitarian efforts and bring its total contributions to joint projects with OCHA to approximately $16.1 million.
The agreements were signed by KFAED Acting Director General Rashid Al-Bader and OCHA representative in Saudi Arabia Mohammad Zaid.
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