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UNFPA: The world should not lose focus on Afghanistan

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Pio Smith, the regional director for Asia and the Pacific for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) wrapped up a five-day visit to the country this week and urged the international community not to lose focus on Afghanistan.

Smith said: “UNFPA is supporting more than 700 health facilities across Afghanistan that are reaching around 700,000 people every month.

“While that is undeniably saving thousands of lives, it is nowhere near what is needed to ensure that every Afghan woman and girl receives essential reproductive health services, including psychosocial support to help them cope and rebuild their lives,” he said.

UNFPA is actively assisting in a number of areas across the country. Along with partners, the agency has set up a mobile health clinic at Torkham reception center in Nangarhar to help care for Afghan migrants returning from Pakistan.

In addition to this, UNFPA is assisting victims of the October earthquakes in Herat province.

Immediately after the first earthquake, UNFPA set up medical tents to provide immediate maternal health and psychosocial support on the ground. Today, these tents have been replaced with a fully equipped emergency maternity unit providing normal and Caesarean-section delivery services, as well as counselling and mental health support for women and girls.

“Many of those affected, including pregnant women, have physical injuries from the earthquakes. Beyond the physical scars, there are a lot of mental wounds. Many, sadly, are feeling desperate and suicidal. These women and girls are suffering – they are suffering because they have lost their families, they have lost their homes, they have lost their livelihoods – and they are in dire need of psychosocial support to help them cope and to help them rebuild,” said Smith.

In response the Islamic Emirate says the concerns about the violation of rights of women and girls are unfounded and emphasizes that the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan have been secured more than ever before.

However, in a new report, the Office of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan is concerned about the situation of women in the country and said that during a survey conducted from August to October of this year, the restrictions imposed on girls and women, immigration and climate change has had a negative impact on women’s health and personal and social life.

UNAMA has asked the international community to facilitate direct dialogue between Afghan women and the authorities of the Islamic Emirate.

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Afghan official slams Shehbaz Sharif’s ‘shameful’ claims on Islamic unity

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Khubaib Ghufran, spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Information and Culture, sharply criticized Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over his recent claims about Islamic unity in relation to the war in Iran, calling them “shameful.”

On his X account, Ghaffran wrote: “You praised Trump as a hero of the Gaza peace plan, yet today you claim Islamic unity regarding Iran in a war that the same criminal (Trump) and his allies initiated?”

He added that while Afghanistan is governed under an Islamic system, Shehbaz Sharif has shown no compassion even toward the most vulnerable groups—from children to women and drug addicts—and that this cruelty persisted even during the holy month of Ramadan.

Ghaffran described Sharif’s stance as a “grave shame” and a stark example of “historical hypocrisy.”

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Airstrike on Kabul drug rehabilitation centre sparks legal concerns

Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for Research, Isabelle Lassee, said the scale of casualties suggests the presence of a significant civilian population at the site.

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An airstrike on a drug rehabilitation facility in Kabul has drawn sharp criticism from Amnesty International, raising serious questions about compliance with international humanitarian law.

The strike, carried out on 16 March, targeted a site at Camp Phoenix, a former military base that has functioned largely as a rehabilitation centre since 2016. Pakistani officials have claimed the attack was aimed at an ammunition depot allegedly located within the compound.

Responding to those claims, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for Research, Isabelle Lassee, said the scale of casualties suggests the presence of a significant civilian population at the site.

“While the total number of casualties has yet to be independently verified, it is clear that the attack caused extensive civilian harm, with reports indicating hundreds killed or injured,” she said.

Lassee emphasized that the facility was widely known to house civilians undergoing treatment, and warned that any military action should have taken this into account. “Pakistan’s military should have taken all feasible precautions to avoid harming civilians and civilian infrastructure,” she added.

She further noted that even if a military target had been present within the compound, international law requires that any strike be proportionate, ensuring that civilian harm is not excessive in relation to the anticipated military advantage.

“The scale of destruction raises serious concerns about whether an adequate proportionality assessment was conducted and whether sufficient steps were taken to verify the target and minimize civilian casualties,” Lassee said.

Amnesty International has called on Pakistani authorities to disclose the intelligence behind the strike and to launch an independent, impartial, and transparent investigation into the incident. The organization stressed that findings should be made public to ensure accountability.

The group also urged all parties involved in the conflict to adhere strictly to international humanitarian law and to protect civilian infrastructure, including medical and rehabilitation facilities.

The airstrike formed part of Pakistan’s “Operation Ghazab Lil Haq,” which included strikes in both Kabul and Nangarhar Province. The targeted rehabilitation centre, known as Omid, reportedly had the capacity to accommodate around 2,000 individuals.

Casualty figures remain contested. Islamic Emirate officials claim more than 400 civilians were killed and over 200 injured, though these numbers have not been independently verified. The United Nations has so far confirmed 143 deaths.

The strike comes amid escalating tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan. According to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, at least 76 civilian casualties had already been recorded since the conflict intensified in February.

Pakistani officials, meanwhile, reported civilian casualties on their side of the border, including four deaths in Bajaur district on 15 March and the killing of a child in North Waziristan earlier in the month, allegedly due to cross-border fire from Afghanistan.

The latest developments underscore growing concerns about civilian safety as hostilities between the two countries continue to intensify.

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Afghanistan expresses condolences after deadly helicopter crash in Qatar

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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan has expressed condolences to the governments and people of Qatar and Turkey following a deadly helicopter crash in Qatar.

In a statement, the ministry described the incident as tragic and extended its deep sympathy to the families of those who lost their lives.

According to reports, the helicopter crashed into Qatari territorial waters, killing seven people. Authorities have said the incident was caused by a technical malfunction.

Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry also prayed for the victims and wished patience and strength for their families.

 
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