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US extends Qatar camp stay for more than 1,000 Afghans
A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the extension.
The US administration has extended the operation of a camp in Qatar housing more than 1,000 Afghans who supported US forces during the war in Afghanistan, as well as relatives of American service members.
The United States has agreed to keep Camp As Sayliyah open for another nine months after it had been scheduled to close at the end of the US fiscal year, according to The Associated Press.
A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the extension.
The decision affects 1,039 Afghans, many of whom worked as interpreters or in other roles supporting US forces between 2001 and 2021. Many have remained in Qatar for more than a year while Washington considers options for their resettlement.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Congress in June that Washington was discussing possible arrangements for resettling the Afghans in third countries. AP has previously reported that the Democratic Republic of Congo was among the countries considered by the administration.
The US State Department said it continues to seek a solution that would ensure the safety of those remaining at the camp while addressing US security concerns.
The department has also described the camp as part of a legacy of the Biden administration’s Afghan resettlement effort, a characterization disputed by some former US officials and refugee advocates.
According to figures cited by AfghanEvac, more than 70 percent of the camp’s residents are women and children. The organization has been advocating for the resettlement of Afghans who have remained in limbo following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
Shawn VanDiver, a US Navy veteran and head of AfghanEvac, welcomed the nine-month extension but said a permanent solution was still needed.
Despite the extension, the residents have not been given a clear pathway to the United States. AfghanEvac says only five Afghans from the camp have been admitted to the US since October 2025.
Advocates have warned that without alternative resettlement arrangements, some residents could eventually face the possibility of returning to Afghanistan.
The State Department said it would use the nine-month extension to continue exploring options for the voluntary resettlement of all Camp As Sayliyah residents.
Afghanistan’s Minister of Finance, Mohammad Nasir Akhund, has travelled to Iran at the head of a delegation following an official invitation from Iran’s Minister of Agriculture, the Ministry of Finance said.
During the visit, Akhund is expected to meet with various Iranian officials to discuss bilateral economic, trade, customs and other related issues.
The visit will also include discussions on key topics for an upcoming meeting of the joint economic commission between Afghanistan and Iran.
Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, on Saturday inaugurated the rehabilitated 110-kilovolt (kV) power transmission line connecting Maimana and Andkhoy in Faryab province.
According to the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office for Economic Affairs, the completion of the project will provide around 60,000 consumers with a more stable and reliable electricity supply.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Baradar said the project would help meet local electricity needs, expand industrial activities and contribute to the region’s economic and social development.
He said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) had implemented several electricity generation and transmission projects in a relatively short period, reducing reliance on imported electricity and power outages while creating new opportunities for industrial growth.
Baradar also said several major electricity infrastructure projects would be implemented over the next year to ensure a sustainable power supply, adding that the country’s existing electricity capacity would increase several times.
Addressing Afghanistan’s security situation, Baradar said the country was currently experiencing a level of security that he claimed was unmatched in most countries. He added that foreign tourists and visitors had continued to travel to Afghanistan since the IEA returned to power, including to remote areas of the country.
He rejected security-related concerns raised by some countries over travel to Afghanistan, describing them as unfounded and politically motivated. He called on the international community to strengthen meaningful engagement with Afghanistan based on realities on the ground.
Baradar also invited domestic and foreign investors to invest in Afghanistan, saying a secure and suitable environment had been created for large- and medium-scale investments.
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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