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WFP survey finds about 98% of Afghans not getting enough food
Almost all Afghans do not have enough to eat and a failing economy could tip Afghanistan’s increasingly dire situation under Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) rule into catastrophe next year, the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) said on Tuesday.
A WFP survey found an estimated 98% of Afghans are not eating enough food, with seven in 10 families resorting to borrowing food, which pushes them deeper into poverty, a spokesperson for the agency told reporters.
The abrupt withdrawal of foreign aid following the IEA victory in August has left Afghanistan’s fragile economy on the brink of collapse, with prices for food, fuel and other basic staples rising rapidly out of reach for many people.
“The spiralling economic crisis, the conflict and drought has meant the average family can now barely cope,” Tomson Phiri told a Geneva briefing. “We have a huge amount to do to stop this crisis from becoming a catastrophe.”
WFP has provided food assistance to 15 million Afghans so far in 2021, and to seven million in November alone. Next year, it plans to ramp up its assistance to 23 million people across all provinces in Afghanistan.
“We cannot waste any moment,” Phiri said. “Our country director describes the situation as quite dire. She says it’s ‘an avalanche of hunger and destitution’.”
Separately, Nada Al-Nashif, UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, said Afghan families face “severe poverty and hunger” with many pushed into desperate measures, including child labour, early marriage and “even the sale of children.”
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Iran expels over 200,000 undocumented Afghan migrants in past five months
Ali Zeynivand, spokesperson for Iran’s Interior Ministry, has said that the process of repatriating undocumented Afghan migrants continues despite recent developments and crises in the region.
He stressed that the process does not target all Afghan nationals, but is aimed at managing the presence of foreign nationals in Iran and determining their legal residency status.
Zeynivand said some undocumented foreign nationals have been expelled from Iran based on judicial orders, while efforts to register and return others without legal documents are continuing.
According to Zeynivand, more than 200,000 undocumented Afghan migrants have voluntarily left Iran over the past five months.
He added that the main objective of the plan is to establish accurate records of foreign nationals, including how and through which border crossing they entered Iran, where they live and which public services they use.
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Pezeshkian says Afghanistan, Pakistan helped Iran prevent infiltration into Iran
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said that Afghanistan and Pakistan cooperated with Tehran during the recent conflict to prevent individuals from using their territories to enter Iran and create unrest.
Speaking in a press conference on Saturday, Pezeshkian said Pakistan was cooperating with Iran “fully” while Afghanistan had also provided significant cooperation. He added that Turkmenistan, Russia and Iraq had helped Iran, while dialogue with Azerbaijan continued despite political differences.
Pezeshkian said regional cooperation had played an important role in helping Iran cope with the impact of the war and restrictions on the country.
The Iranian president also accused Iran’s adversaries of attempting to create insecurity along the country’s northwestern and southeastern borders, including plans to attack border posts and send armed individuals into Iran.
He said the plans were unsuccessful, partly because Iran responded to some of the efforts and because neighboring countries took measures to prevent individuals from using their territory to enter Iran.
Pezeshkian specifically highlighted the role of Afghanistan and Pakistan, saying both governments had deployed groups to monitor the situation along their territories.
According to the Iranian president, both countries had also made clear that no one would be permitted to use their soil to enter Iran and cause unrest inside the country.
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Ariana Airlines brings $2.3 million Boeing 737 engine from US to Kabul
The airline said the delivery represents an important step in strengthening its technical and operational capacity and supporting the continued operation of its fleet.
Ariana Afghan Airlines has brought a Boeing 737 aircraft engine from the United States to Kabul following continued efforts by the airline’s leadership to complete the shipment.
According to Ariana Afghan Airlines’ media office, the engine had been held up in the United States due to customs procedures. Following completion of the required process, the engine was cleared and transported to Kabul.
The engine was purchased from US-based Global Engine for $2.3 million. Ariana’s technical team is expected to install the engine on one of the airline’s Boeing 737 aircraft following its arrival.
The airline said the delivery represents an important step in strengthening its technical and operational capacity and supporting the continued operation of its fleet.
Ariana Afghan Airlines’ leadership said it is also working to accelerate the procurement of additional spare parts and technical equipment required to maintain and support the airline’s aircraft and operations.
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