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UNHCR representative urges continued international support for Afghanistan
The UN refugee agency’s representative in Afghanistan has called on the international community to maintain their support for Afghanistan, warning that the return of more than 6.5 million Afghans over the past three years has placed significant pressure on the country.
Arafat Jamal, UNHCR Representative in Afghanistan, made the remarks during the eighth International Conference on Action with Women and Peace in Seoul, South Korea, where he highlighted the challenges facing returnees amid poverty, drought and climate-related disasters.
He said the returning population accounts for around 15 percent of Afghanistan’s total population, describing the influx as one of the world’s largest movements of people. He added that Afghanistan was struggling to absorb the large-scale returns due to its existing economic and humanitarian challenges.
Jamal also highlighted difficulties facing Afghan women, saying that the absence of war does not necessarily mean all citizens enjoy safety.
In a separate interview with The Korea Times during his visit to Seoul, Jamal said supporting refugees and vulnerable countries was not simply an act of charity but an investment in a safer and more stable international environment.
He stressed that Afghanistan’s strategic location, bordering seven countries including China, Pakistan and Iran, makes its stability a matter of wider international concern. Although the country is relatively calm at present, he cautioned that this situation should not be taken for granted without continued international support.
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ICC halts probe into alleged crimes by US troops in Afghanistan
The court cited “significant limitations” on the prosecutor’s ability to carry out investigations and obtain evidence.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has halted its investigation into alleged crimes committed by US troops in Afghanistan, according to court documents released on Friday.
The decision was issued on Thursday but made public a day later. The court cited “significant limitations” on the prosecutor’s ability to carry out investigations and obtain evidence.
The ruling also brings an end to the investigation into alleged crimes committed by the Islamic State group’s affiliate in Khorasan Province (ISKP).
The prosecutor’s office has appealed the decision, according to statements provided to the Associated Press and Reuters.
The decision comes amid strained relations between Washington and the Hague-based court. The United States previously imposed sanctions on 13 current and former ICC staff members over investigations into alleged crimes by US personnel and arrest warrants issued against Israeli officials.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had earlier said that President Donald Trump would never allow the ICC to prosecute Americans. In an October statement, Rubio also warned that Washington would continue efforts to dismantle the court until Americans were no longer at risk of prosecution.
It remains unclear whether the latest ruling will affect the US position towards the ICC. The United States is not a member of the court and does not recognise its jurisdiction.
Under the court’s founding statute, however, the ICC can prosecute individuals accused of serious international crimes committed on the territory of its member states.
The investigation into Afghanistan began in 2020.
In 2021, the then ICC prosecutor, Karim Khan, announced that his office would deprioritise investigations into US forces, citing difficulties in obtaining evidence.
Khan was removed from his position earlier this year following allegations of sexual misconduct.
Uzbekistan and Belgium have discussed the situation in Afghanistan and regional efforts to develop a common approach towards the country.
Uzbekistan’s Special Representative of the President for Afghanistan, Ismatulla Irgashev, held talks with Belgium’s Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Matthias Kende, according to Uzbekistan’s Foreign Ministry.
During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on the latest developments in Afghanistan and discussed issues related to bilateral cooperation on the Afghan track.
Kende praised Uzbekistan’s efforts to promote a consolidated regional position on Afghanistan.
The meeting was held in a constructive atmosphere, with both sides reaffirming their interest in strengthening practical dialogue between Tashkent and Brussels.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry has called a United Nations report on Afghan opiates “tailor-made political propaganda” saying such publications do not help combat drug trafficking in Afghanistan.
The ministry said that the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report, published in late October, recorded an increase in the cultivation, production and distribution of Afghan opiates for the first time since the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) imposed a ban in 2022.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said the report, which the IEA has already rejected as politically motivated, appears unbalanced and relies on indirect evidence, including satellite images that are open to different expert interpretations.
According to UN estimates cited in the report, the area under poppy cultivation increased from 10,200 hectares in 2025 to 43,300 hectares in 2026, while opium production rose from 300 tonnes to 1,470 tonnes.
The ministry acknowledged that Afghanistan’s drug problem still exists and said authorities in Kabul are aware of the issue. It added that Afghan security forces conduct almost daily operations in various parts of the country to destroy drug laboratories and seize narcotics.
According to the statement, more than 7.4 tonnes of various narcotics and over 4.7 tonnes of precursor chemicals were seized in Afghanistan over the past week, while two drug laboratories were dismantled.
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