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US aid to Afghanistan in food and healthcare sectors also terminated: SIGAR
After US President Donald Trump issued an executive order instituting a 90-day pause in foreign development assistance, emergency humanitarian assistance providing lifesaving food, nutrition, and healthcare was initially exempted, but terminated in April due to concerns that the Islamic Emirate benefits from such aid, a US government watchdog said.
In a quarterly report, the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) said that following the order and subsequent review, all USAID programs to Afghanistan were terminated, except for two awards supporting higher education.
USAID/Afghanistan funds two active programs as of April 15. Promote Scholarship Endowment, formerly Women’s Scholarship Endowment, provides university scholarships for Afghan women in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
Supporting Student Success in Afghanistan funds online learning through the American University of Afghanistan, with the goal of increasing access to higher education in Afghanistan.
SIGAR reported that on April 8, US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce confirmed that previously exempt emergency food assistance to Afghanistan was terminated “to mitigate Taliban interference.” State also terminated other awards that provided cash-based assistance “given concerns about misuse and a lack of appropriate accountability.”
The Islamic Emirate has previously denied interference in the international assistance in Afghanistan.
According to SIGAR, the United States has been the single largest donor to programs supporting the Afghan people, having disbursed more than $3.83 billion in humanitarian and development assistance since the Islamic Emirate takeover in 2021.
Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met on Tuesday with Qatar’s ambassador to Kabul, Mirdif Al-Qashouti, to discuss strengthening bilateral relations and expanding Afghanistan’s engagement with the international community.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the meeting focused on Qatar’s efforts to facilitate the Islamic Emirate’s engagement with the international community.
Muttaqi welcomed the growing engagement between Afghanistan and the international community and praised Qatar’s role in supporting these efforts.
Meanwhile, Qatar’s ambassador reaffirmed Doha’s commitment to continuing its efforts and described the progress made so far as encouraging.
Alireza Bikdeli, Iran’s ambassador to Kabul, met on Tuesday with officials of the Afghanistan Chamber of Industries and Mines to discuss expanding economic relations, joint investment, and strengthening cooperation in the industrial and mining sectors.
During the meeting, Khan Mohammad Khan, deputy for industry at the Afghanistan Chamber of Industries and Mines, highlighted the existing opportunities in Afghanistan’s industrial and mining sectors and called on Iranian investors to make practical investments in these areas.
He said that with suitable opportunities available for industrial growth and the processing of raw minerals in Afghanistan, greater prospects exist for economic cooperation and joint investment with regional countries, particularly Iran.
Meanwhile, Bikdeli said that Iranian investors are showing growing interest in operating in various economic and production sectors in Afghanistan. He also emphasized Iran’s willingness to expand economic relations and bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
At the end of the meeting, he invited officials of the Afghanistan Chamber of Industries and Mines to participate in a mining exhibition scheduled to be held in Iran.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Information and Culture says BBC radio broadcasts across the country have been suspended due to what it described as “repeated violations.”
Safiullah Raed, head of media monitoring at the ministry, confirmed the suspension, without providing further details.
The BBC has also confirmed that its radio broadcasts have been suspended across Afghanistan. A spokesperson for the broadcaster said it was in contact with officials of the Islamic Emirate to resolve the issue.
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