Latest News
US announces additional humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan
The United States has pledged to donate nearly $144 million in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, amid a looming economic and humanitarian crisis.
This assistance brings the total US humanitarian aid in Afghanistan and for Afghan refugees in the region to nearly $474 million in 2021, the White House said in a statement on Thursday.
According to the statement, the assistance will flow through independent humanitarian organizations – including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), International Organization for Migration (IOM), the World Health Organization (WHO) – who provide support directly to more than 18.4 million vulnerable Afghans in the region, including Afghan refugees in neighboring countries.
“Our partners provide lifesaving protection, shelter, livelihoods support, essential health care, winterization assistance, emergency food aid, water, sanitation, and hygiene services in response to the growing humanitarian needs exacerbated by healthcare shortages, drought, malnutrition, and the impending winter,” the statement read.
This comes as the people of Afghanistan have been struggling with poverty and a humanitarian crisis since the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) took over Kabul in mid-August.
The US has frozen nearly $10 billion of the Afghan Central Bank’s assets. The US Treasury has said that there are no plans to release the money.
Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has also blocked the IEA from accessing some $440 million in new emergency reserves.
Latest News
Pakistan says cross-Durand Line communities seek peace and stability
Pakistan says communities living along the Afghanistan-Pakistan Durand Line want peace and stability, despite ongoing security concerns in the region.
Speaking during a weekly media briefing, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said there are no major issues between the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan, adding that residents on both sides of the Durand Line want peaceful relations and greater regional stability.
However, Andrabi claimed that terrorism originating from Afghan territory continues to undermine peace efforts.
He said Islamabad believes militant activity crossing from Afghanistan remains a significant obstacle to improving regional security and bilateral ties.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has repeatedly rejected such allegations, maintaining that no militant group is allowed to use Afghan soil to threaten neighboring countries.
Andrabi also said Pakistan remains diplomatically engaged on regional matters involving Afghanistan, Iran, India, and Somalia, stressing that dialogue and diplomacy remain Islamabad’s preferred means of resolving disputes.
Latest News
Afghanistan-Gambia ties discussed during Doha meeting
Both sides also exchanged views on strengthening diplomatic engagement and exploring future economic cooperation.
Suhail Shaheen, head of the Islamic Emirate’s embassy in Doha, has met with Omar Jah, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of The Gambia to Qatar, to discuss bilateral relations and areas of mutual interest.
According to a statement from the Afghan embassy in Doha, Jah also oversees Gambian diplomatic affairs related to Afghanistan.
The meeting focused on Afghanistan-Gambia relations, the current security situation in Afghanistan, and potential investment opportunities in the country.
Both sides also exchanged views on strengthening diplomatic engagement and exploring future economic cooperation.
Latest News
Pakistan’s Achakzai calls for freer movement across disputed Durand Line
Mahmood Khan Achakzai, a member of Pakistan’s National Assembly and head of the Pakhtunkhwa Awami National Party, has said that if capable statesmen had been in power, people living on both sides of the Durand Line could have moved freely across the line.
Speaking during a podcast interview, Achakzai said that countries with histories of major conflict, including Russia, Germany and the United Kingdom, now maintain far more open borders despite past wars. He said that in many such regions, only a “paper line” remains, with limited border restrictions.
Drawing comparisons with the disputed Durand Line boundary between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Achakzai argued that a similar arrangement could have been possible in South Asia.
“What is the problem here? A Punjabi could dance in Kandahar and a Pashtun could come here. Even if we are not formally one country, we could have effectively functioned like one,” he said.
The Pakistani politician also referred to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the later U.S.-led intervention, saying Afghanistan has the right to seek war reparations from those countries to support reconstruction efforts.
Achakzai further criticised the treatment of Pashtuns in Pakistan, alleging that individuals in cities including Lahore and Karachi have faced detention and deportation.
-
World5 days agoTrump says US could restart Iran strikes ‘if they misbehave’
-
Regional4 days agoIran says it has received US response to its latest offer for talks
-
Business5 days agoAfghan economic commission approves 12 major development projects across key sectors
-
Sport4 days agoAfghanistan set for Maldives four-nation tournament
-
Latest News4 days agoUN warns funding cuts are slowing mine clearance efforts in Afghanistan
-
Business4 days agoKazakhstan grain exports to Afghanistan jump sharply
-
Latest News5 days agoAfghan officials say media should align with Islamic and national values
-
Tahawol4 days agoTahawol: Efforts for US-Iran agreement
