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World Bank donates $84 million to Afghanistan
The World Bank announced Tuesday it has approved $84 million in aid to Afghanistan in order to fight the economic crisis and implement livelihood projects in the country.
According to a statement, this “complements $70 million in additional financing from the Afghanistan Resilience Trust Fund (ARTF).”
The project was started in 2022 with a grant of $265 million from the ARTF to provide livelihoods support and services in rural and urban areas, support social grants for women and the most vulnerable, and strengthen community institutions for inclusive service delivery.
With this additional financing, the project will scale up activities in more rural and urban areas, provide more livelihood opportunities for women, expand activities focused on building climate resilience, and provide employment and services to returning Afghan migrants, the World Bank stated.
Melinda Good, World Bank Country Director for Afghanistan, said: “In the past 18 months, the project has laid the foundation for an effective service delivery platform and operational model at scale for delivering jobs, providing essential services and assets, and, importantly, reaching women.
“With the additional financing, the project will continue its essential works in all six regions of the country, 26 of the 34 provinces, 67 rural districts, 6,200 rural communities, and eight major cities,” she said.
To date, the project has provided short-term employment to over 776,000 households, benefiting around 5.4 million Afghans, and about 92,200 vulnerable households received cash transfers or in-kind social grants, with a significant portion being female-headed households or those with disabled members.
Approximately 7.4 million Afghans gained access to services like roads, sanitation, and water supply, and more than 2.1 million community members received training in health and nutrition, the effects of climate change and disaster risk management.
In addition, the project has helped create a market for local civil works and preserve local contractors’ capacities built over the last two decades.
An estimated 2,200 highly skilled market-driven jobs have also been created.
The project is implemented by UNOPS, which facilitates international and local NGO partners and local private sector contractors to implement activities in rural and urban areas.
Two hundred tons of emergency relief from Uzbekistan for flood victims has arrived at the Hairatan border post in northern Afghanistan and handed over to representatives of the Islamic Emirate on Tuesday.
The aid from Uzbekistan for flood victims included 48 tons of flour, 22 tons of rice, 100 tents, and 96 water tanks.
Rahmatul Haq Fazil, Afghanistan’s deputy minister of foreign affairs, said relations between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan were historical and that Uzbekistan has always cooperated with the people of Afghanistan and taken positive steps in the political, economic, commercial and transit sectors.
At the same time, Ismatullah Irgashev, Uzbekistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan, said a path has been paved for the expansion of relations between the two countries.
Since the Islamic Emirate’s return to power in August 2021, Uzbekistan has sent in 10 shipments of aid following a spate of natural disasters over the past two and a half years.
Foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) met in the Kazakh capital this week and discussed issues around promoting stabilization in Afghanistan, combating terrorism and drug threats.
According to Kazakh media reports, the participants also discussed preparations for the upcoming SCO Head of State Summit scheduled for July and the Middle East situation.
China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, India and Pakistan are members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
The organization recognizes Afghanistan, Mongolia, Belarus, Iraq and Sri Lanka as observers, but the Islamic Emirate has not been invited to the meeting.
SCO members have repeatedly expressed concerns about a terrorism threat from Afghanistan.
But the Islamic Emirate has emphasized repeatedly that it will not allow Afghanistan’s soil to be used against any other country.
Turkish Airlines resumed its flights to Afghanistan with its first flight landing at Kabul International Airport on Tuesday, after almost three years.
Turkish charge d’affaires in Kabul, Cenk Unal, said at a ceremony to mark the occasion that the resumption of Turkish Airlines flights to Afghanistan is a clear example of the expansion of friendly and historical relations between the two countries.
He added that Turkish Airlines flies to numerous countries, and flights to Afghanistan will help expand cultural and commercial relations.
Officials of the Ministry of Transport stated that the resumption of Turkish Airlines flights shows that the people of Turkey stand with the people of Afghanistan in any circumstances.
They called on other international airlines to also resume flights saying that currently Kabul airport is safe and secure.
Turkish Airlines currently has 454 modern aircraft. It connects 348 destinations in six continents and in 130 countries.
200 tons of aid from Uzbekistan arrives in Afghanistan for flood victims
SCO foreign ministers discuss promotion of stability in Afghanistan
Turkish Airlines resumes flights to Afghanistan after three year hiatus
US says it was ‘unable’ to provide Iran assistance after helicopter crash
EU provides 400,000 euros to assist flood victims in Afghanistan
Afghanistan announce T20 World Cup 2024 squad
Rashid Khan named AWCC’s brand ambassador
New Zealand to go ahead with Afghanistan cricket Test
Afghanistan beat Iraq 5-3, inch closer to Futsal World Cup berth
Afghanistan qualify for FIFA Futsal World Cup for first time ever
Tahawol: Iranian president’s death discussed
Saar: Upcoming UN Doha meeting on Afghanistan discussed
Tahawol: Concerns over spread of floods in the country discussed
Tahawol: Killing of 3 foreign tourists in Bamyan province
Saar: Efforts to solve Afghanistan’s political issue discussed
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