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UNHCR starts construction of quake-resilient houses in Khost and Paktika
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency announced the start of a more than US$14 million community-based construction effort to build 2,300 earthquake-resilient houses to help residents in southeastern Afghanistan region devastated by the deadly 22 June earthquake.
Under the plan, UNHCR is providing materials and supporting building costs for the construction of 2,000 winterized homes in both Giyan and Barmal districts of Paktika Province and 300 homes in Spera District of Khost Province.
“This initiative demonstrates UNHCR’s sustained solidarity and support to people affected by the disaster — in the coming months 2,300 families will have new, resilient, winterized homes,” said UNHCR Representative Leonard Zulu during an assessment mission in Barmal, Paktika Province. “UNHCR started distributing emergency shelter two days after the earthquake, and we are now aiming to meet urgent shelter needs to build back better.”
Earthmoving equipment contracted by UNHCR has started site clearance in Barmal and trucks are delivering construction materials as snows are expected by mid-November.
“The Khost and Paktika areas have generously hosted thousands of refugees in recent years, some of whom were also affected by the earthquake,” Zulu said. “UNHCR’s shelter initiative will ensure homes for the most-affected households.”
Over recent weeks, UNHCR teams have met with communities to present the project, identify the worst-affected families, and organize community groups to implement the community-based scheme.
In addition to building materials, households participating in the project will receive US$700 for labour. Engineers working with UNHCR’s partners will monitor construction so relevant guidance is followed. Each family will be provided with solar panels for lighting and a bukhāri space heater for burning wood during winter months, as well as materials to construct an outdoor latrine.
Bahrain’s Royal Humanitarian Foundation recently signed a US$1 million agreement with UNHCR to support the housing scheme. Additionally, UNHCR and the United Nations Development Programme have launched a joint programme to improve access to community services like health centres, schools, and water systems in the three districts.
UNHCR has included the three districts in its Priority Areas of Return and Reintegration (PARRs) project since refugees as well as returned IDPs reside in the areas. The PARR initiative will ensure sustained support to enhance sustainable returns, reintegration and community resilience.
In the wake of the 5.9 earthquake that reportedly killed more than 1,000 people and injured many others, UNHCR distributed 3,592 family tents to provide emergency shelter for more than 25,000 people alongside household supplies and hygiene items for more than 11,200 people, complementing emergency assistance delivered by partner agencies.
Over the past four decades, Afghanistan has been battered by conflicts and natural disasters that have left millions facing famine and starvation. The latest estimates indicate that some 24 million Afghans, more than half the country’s population, are in need of humanitarian assistance.
There are some 3.4 million conflict-displaced persons in Afghanistan, as well as 1.57 million climate-displaced people, making it one of the most complex humanitarian crises in the world.
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India reaffirms healthcare support to Afghanistan, hands over medicines and vaccines
Indian officials said the support underscores New Delhi’s commitment to helping improve healthcare services and access to life-saving treatment in Afghanistan.
India has reaffirmed its commitment to continued humanitarian assistance and healthcare cooperation with Afghanistan, with a focus on the long-term supply of essential medicines.
According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of the Government of India, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda held a productive meeting with Afghanistan’s Minister of Public Health, Noor Jalal Jalali. The discussions focused on strengthening cooperation in the health sector and addressing the medical needs of the Afghan people.
During the meeting, a symbolic handover of cancer medicines and vaccines was carried out, reflecting India’s ongoing support for Afghanistan’s healthcare system. The ministry also announced that a larger consignment of medicines, vaccines, and a 128-slice CT scanner is being dispatched to Afghanistan as part of India’s humanitarian assistance efforts.
Indian officials said the support underscores New Delhi’s commitment to helping improve healthcare services and access to life-saving treatment in Afghanistan.
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Afghan forces target hideout of suspects linked to cross-border attacks on Chinese nationals
Afghan forces target hideout of suspects linked to cross-border attacks on Chinese nationals
Security sources said that special forces of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) have targeted a hideout in Badakhshan province linked to suspects involved in attacks against Chinese nationals in neighboring Tajikistan.
According to the sources, the operation was carried out on Tuesday night in Faizabad city, where several individuals suspected of orchestrating cross-border attacks from Badakhshan’s frontier regions were believed to be present. As a result of the operation, one wanted suspect was arrested alive along with weapons and other military equipment.
The sources added that preliminary investigations and initial confessions by the detainee indicate the planning of the attacks was carried out from outside Afghanistan.
This comes as Tajikistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on November 27 that three Chinese citizens were killed in an attack in Khatlon province.
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Baradar urges scholars to promote protection of Islamic system and national interests
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, has called on religious scholars to play a stronger role in promoting the protection of the Islamic system and Afghanistan’s national interests among the public.
Speaking at a turban-tying ceremony at Jamia Fath al-Uloom in Kabul on Wednesday, Baradar urged scholars to adopt a softer tone in their sermons and public addresses.
He said that alongside teaching religious obligations, scholars should help foster a sense of responsibility toward safeguarding the Islamic system and national unity.
Baradar described madrasas as the sacred foundations of religious learning, moral education, spiritual and intellectual development, and Islamic movements within Muslim societies.
He noted that in Afghanistan, religious teachings and the concept of sacred jihad originated in madrasas, spread from villages to cities, and eventually translated into action and resistance.
He also emphasized the role of madrasas in the intellectual reform of society, the removal of what he described as un-Islamic cultural influences, and the preservation of Islamic traditions.
Baradar stressed that religious schools must remain committed to their original mission and values under all circumstances.
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