Expressions of Sympathy, Calls for Assistance Mount for Flood Victims

Richard Bennett has described the recent floods in the country as indicative of Afghanistan’s vulnerability to climate change.

Following the flooding in several provinces of the country, the Islamic Emirate has asked the people to cooperate with the caretaker government in aiding the affected individuals.

The spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate, expressing sympathy with the families of the victims in the provinces of Baghlan, Takhar, Badakhshan, Ghor, and Herat, stated that in an emergency meeting held to address the damages, directions have been given to the government ministries in charge of disaster response, internal affairs, public health, and local authorities to use all available resources to rescue the people.

Zabihullah Mujahid stated, “The Ministry of Disaster Management, as well as other relevant ministries including the Ministry of Health, have been ordered to fully address the needs of the disaster-stricken areas and to expedite aid to the region.”

Meanwhile, the former president Hamid Karzai, and Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the High Council for National Reconciliation in the former government, have called on businesses and aid organizations to urgently assist those affected by the floods.

The former President wrote, “I extend my condolences to the families of the victims and hope that aid organizations and national traders will assist the affected families.”

Abdullah Abdullah also wrote about the event, “We expect aid organizations and agencies to rush to assist the victims and strive to provide them with the basic necessities.”

On the other hand, the UN Human Rights Council’s Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan, the U.S. Special Representative for Human Rights and Women for Afghanistan, the Foreign Minister of Pakistan, and the Chargé d’Affaires of the European Union have also expressed their sympathy for the flood victims in Afghanistan.

Richard Bennett has described the recent floods in the country as indicative of Afghanistan’s vulnerability to climate change.

Bennett said, “Recent floods in Afghanistan including Baghlan which claimed many lives, are a stark reminder of Afghanistan’s vulnerability to the climate crisis & both immediate aid and long term planning by the Taliban & international actors are needed. Condolences to the families of vicitims.”

The US special envoy for Afghan human rights and women, Rina Amiri, has asked the caretaker government to utilize the capabilities of all community members to counter the damage caused by climate change.

Amiri added, “My heart goes out to the victims of the recent flooding in Afghanistan which took numerous lives & caused significant damage. To tackle the ravages of climate change, the Taliban must leverage the power of the entire population & remove crippling restrictions on women & girls.”

Abdul Zuhoor Mudabir, an economic affairs expert, told TOLOnews, “Floods are a natural disaster that can negatively impact the economy, therefore it is the responsibility of the government, donor institutions, and traders not to leave the affected people alone.”

The recent floods in the country have caused extensive casualties and severe financial damage to the citizens. These floods have mostly occurred in remote villages, leaving the people in dire need of assistance as they lose their homes and possessions.

Expressions of Sympathy, Calls for Assistance Mount for Flood Victims
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Flooding in Baghlan: The Scope of Disaster Expands

Mohammad Sarwar, a flood victim in Baghlan, told a TOLOnews: “We are three families; nothing is left here. All the people are affected.”

Following the deadly floods in four districts of Baghlan, to date, 130 people have died, and approximately 100 others have been injured.

Local officials in Baghlan Province stated that the death toll may rise.

According to officials, more than a thousand residential homes, thousands of hectares of agricultural land, and hundreds of heads of livestock have also been lost in the floods.

Alam Majidi, the spokesperson for the governor of Baghlan, told TOLOnews: “The figures we have received so far indicate that the death toll has reached 130, and the number of injured has reached 100.”

Meanwhile, those who have lost relatives in yesterday’s floods (Friday) are calling on the interim government and both domestic and international organizations to address the challenges and rescue those who are trapped.

Mohammad Zaher, a flood victim from Baghlan, told a TOLOnews reporter: “Most of the bodies have not yet been found, and their loved ones are searching for them. Just now, we have buried twenty bodies.”

Mohammad Zalmay, another flood victim in Baghlan, said: ‘More than five hundred homes have been destroyed, and about four hundred people have been killed or injured.’

On the other hand, the World Food Programme has reported the death toll from these floods to be over 300, while the UN High Commissioner for Refugees has stated the figure to be at least 200.

Mohammad Sarwar, a flood victim in Baghlan, told a TOLOnews reporter: “We are three families; nothing is left here. All the people are affected.”

The districts of Burka, Nahrin, Guzargah Noor, Khost wa Fereng and the suburbs of Pul-e Khumri, the center of Baghlan Province, witnessed devastating floods in the afternoon yesterday (Friday).

Flooding in Baghlan: The Scope of Disaster Expands
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Taliban trying to normalise ties, install appointees in India: Afghan diplomat

The Hindu
10 May 2024
Afghanistan’s acting Permanent Representative to the United Nations Naseer Ahmad Faiq acknowledged the reports on the Taliban’s attempt to appoint a replacement for Zakia Wardak, former Consul General in Mumbai
Afghanistan’s acting Permanent Representative to the United Nations Naseer Ahmad Faiq. File

Afghanistan’s acting Permanent Representative to the United Nations Naseer Ahmad Faiq. File | Photo Credit: X/@faiq_naseer

Days after Afghanistan’s most senior diplomat in India resigned over charges of smuggling, diplomats still loyal to the previous democratic regime in Kabul warn that the Taliban is making another attempt to install a nominee in India and urged India and other countries not to “normalise” ties with the Taliban. The warnings came amidst turmoil within Afghanistan’s Delhi Embassy and Consulates in Mumbai and Hyderabad and a scandal involving a top diplomat accused of smuggling gold, that has left the missions in India practically leader-less.

A similar attempt to appoint a Charge d’Affaires was thwarted last year after local staff locked the Embassy gates and refused to allow Qadir Shah, who was carrying a letter from the Taliban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, into the premises in May 2023. In September, the previous regime’s Ambassador Farid Mamundzay then announced he was leaving India and shutting down the embassy owing to a “lack of support” from the MEA, accusing New Delhi of softening its position towards the Taliban that took Kabul by force in August 2021. However, the Embassy was kept open for consular services for approximately 25,000 Afghans living in India, with a skeletal staff of about a dozen, and was run jointly by Mumbai Consul General Zakia Wardak, a political appointee from the previous Ghani government who had also been engaging with the Taliban regime in Kabul, and Hyderabad Consul General Sayed Mohammad Ibrahimkhil.

The MEA declined to comment on the latest developments, and officials said they were not aware of the attempt by the Taliban to appoint a diplomat in India. Since reopening the Indian Embassy in Kabul in June 2022, the government has been engaging regularly with Taliban officials, and the MEA’s Joint Secretary for Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan J.P. Singh met with the Taliban Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi most recently in March this year.

Calling Ms. Wardak’s case an “embarrassment” for all Afghan diplomatic missions, Mr. Faiq said that “nepotism and corruption were among the greatest challenges under the former Republic [Ghani government] and this still exists under the Taliban regime”.

Taliban trying to normalise ties, install appointees in India: Afghan diplomat
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Several killed after residents of Afghan province protest orders from Taliban

Nangarhar province, Afghanistan
Nangarhar province, Afghanistan

At least four people were reported killed on Thursday during clashes between protesters and Taliban security forces in eastern Afghanistan.

Residents in Nangarhar province, which borders Pakistan, held a demonstration after being told by Taliban authorities to vacate their homes for the construction of a customs clearing facility, according to witnesses and officials.

Protesters blocked a busy highway linking Afghanistan to Pakistan and refused to allow the destruction of their properties. Taliban security forces fired gunshots to disperse the crowd and clear the highway to allow trade convoys to resume their journey in both directions, eyewitnesses reported.

An area information and culture department spokesperson confirmed the clashes, saying residents “created chaos in response” to the official order. Arafat Mohajer said that the violence resulted in the death of a Taliban officer and “a number of people who were occupying the [state[ land [illegally].” He did not share further details.

Protesters refuted the official claims, saying they had the deeds and owned the land.

A resident in Jalalabad, the provincial capital, confirmed to VOA by phone that firing by Taliban security forces killed three protesters.

The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan three years ago and faced no public opposition to their hard-line policies until this month.

Last week, farmers and residents took to the streets in northeastern Badakhshan province to protest the eradication of poppy fields by the Taliban counternarcotics units.

Security forces opened fire to disperse the demonstrators, killing two people.

Hibatullah Akhundzada, the reclusive Taliban supreme leader, has imposed a nationwide ban on poppy cultivation and production, usage, transportation and trade of all illicit drugs in Afghanistan.

Some information for this report came from AFP.

Several killed after residents of Afghan province protest orders from Taliban
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Three million children suffer from malnutrition in Afghanistan: WFP

Khaama Press

The World Food Programme has recently published statistics showing that currently, three million children in Afghanistan are suffering from malnutrition.

On Friday, May 10, the organization announced on its social platform X that the World Food Programme can only support one of every three children.

The World Food Programme has emphasized that the reduction in aid in Afghanistan directly affects the children there. The organization adds that addressing their situation requires sustainable financing.

Previously, the health section of the United Nations had reported that the number of women suffering from malnutrition in Afghanistan last year reached 1.2 million.

Mona Sheikh, the head of nutrition at the World Food Programme, had earlier stated that the number of women suffering from malnutrition is expected to increase this year. She also mentioned that the number of children suffering from malnutrition in the country this year will reach 3 million, but only 1.6 million will receive assistance.

While the World Food Programme has released these statistics, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) says that 23.7 million people will need immediate humanitarian aid in 2024.

The agency announced that despite the reduction in conflicts, the people of Afghanistan still have a serious need for humanitarian aid. The agency’s statement mentions that out of the 23.7 million people who need humanitarian assistance, 5.9 million are women, and 5.4 million are men.

Three million children suffer from malnutrition in Afghanistan: WFP
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Kabul, Islamabad Trade Accusations of Harboring Terrorists

10 May 2024

Previously, Kabul responded to the statements of the Pakistani army spokesperson, saying that Pakistani soil is occasionally used against Afghanistan.

The Pakistan Foreign Ministry called upon the Islamic Emirate to address the looming threat posed by terrorist entities.

Reacting to assertions made by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Defense of the Islamic Emirate, the Pakistani Foreign Affairs Ministry swiftly dismissed claims of Pakistani soil being utilized for hostile activities against Afghanistan as entirely unfounded

“With such effective measures, they should be able to demonstrate that these terror groups do not have sanctuaries and hideouts inside Afghanistan,” Mumtaz Zahra Baloch the spokesperson for the ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan said as quoted by Express Tribune.

Previously, Kabul responded to the statements of the Pakistani army spokesperson, saying that Pakistani soil is occasionally used against Afghanistan.

“We have cases where ISIS extremists have entered Afghanistan from Pakistani soil and are using it against us,” said Enayatullah Khwarizmi, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense.

Citing recent remarks from the Pakistani army spokesperson alleging the misuse of Afghan soil against Pakistan, tensions between Kabul and Islamabad reignited last Tuesday.

While historical tensions between the two nations are not uncommon, the recent escalation begs the question: what precipitated this latest flare-up in relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan?

Mohammad Matin Mohammad Khel, a military affairs expert, said: “This is a false claim aimed at diverting attention from their own failures to Afghanistan. They are fanning these issues when there is no such thing.”

Sadiq Shinwari, another military affairs expert, said: “It is nothing more than an excuse. Pakistan is attempting a new scenario against Afghanistan.”

Amid increasing insecurity in Pakistan, the country has repeatedly accused the caretaker government of harboring terrorist groups on its soil; however, the Islamic Emirate has consistently denied these accusations.

Kabul, Islamabad Trade Accusations of Harboring Terrorists
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2 Killed, 4 Injured During Protests in Nangarhar

The day before, after the Kuchi protests in the ninth district of Jalalabad and subsequent gunfire, two were killed and four others were injured.

Following the deaths of two individuals in Nangarhar, local officials state that it is unclear who fired upon the protesters.

Local authorities in Nangarhar say the purpose of the land clearance related to the customs is to expand the Nangarhar customs area. Prior notice had been given to the residents of this area to evacuate.

Abdul Basir Zabuli, the spokesperson for the Nangarhar Security Command, stated: “When security forces and customs officials started their work here, the Kuchis launched an armed attack on the security personnel, which according to unconfirmed reports resulted in two Kuchis killed and four others injured.”

Qureshi Badloon, Director of Information for the Nangarhar Department of Information and Culture, said: “In the area where there was controversy and the customs wall was crossing, it was decided that no work would proceed from the customs side and the people would also stop their protests. The matter has now been sent to the leadership, and everyone is waiting for a decision.”

This comes after the commencement of clearance work on the lands related to the Nangarhar customs from the presence of Kuchi residents who had illegally built homes and settled there, leading to their protests.

Local residents say that more than 7,000 families have been living in this area for about 30 years.

They add that they are not opposed to the development of the Nangarhar customs, but the area should be legally handed over to them.

Nematullah Baz, a prominent Kuchi leader, said: “Previous governments had also told us not to build homes on a thousand jeribs of customs land, and that we could build homes in the plains instead.”

Minedar Ahmadzai, a local resident, said: “We ask the government to identify the perpetrators of yesterday’s incident.”

However, local officials in Nangarhar report that a commission has been appointed to investigate and identify the killers and to also resolve the controversies that have arisen between customs officials and local residents.

2 Killed, 4 Injured During Protests in Nangarhar
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Hard times in Kabul: Debt-ridden driver survives on a loaf of bread

Khaama Press

The lives of many people in Afghanistan are shaped by layers of poverty, poverty that, in different periods, has either caused deprivation or led to severe social insecurity. In this report, you read about the life of an elderly man who has parked his taxi in a corner of the bustling city of Kabul, and beside it, a loaf of flatbread from a clay oven is visible, which he says he uses to get through the day.

It seems that no one has listened to his words for a long time, and he hasn’t had an opportunity to share his complaints with anyone candidly. Habibullah, who is 60, has been driving in Kabul, Afghanistan’s busiest and most chaotic city, for about 30 years.

Habibullah says, “I work as much as I can until my body and nerves tire from the exhaustion and the noise of cars and roadblocks.” Before becoming a driver, he tried other jobs but believed that in “this country,” no job yields results: “We tried everything, from manual labour to farming, apprenticeship, and street vending, but nothing worked until I sold my ancestral land and bought a vehicle.”

The trial and error phase in this elderly man’s life has been so prolonged that it’s easy to conclude that no suitable jobs offer satisfying income. This compels Habibullah to drive in the city, even “these days when people have become very impoverished.”

He adds that currently, many people use bicycles out of necessity and poverty, covering long distances with them.

Citizens who cover long distances in Kabul by bicycle agree with Habibullah. Hamed, a 40-year-old man who cycles daily between Darul Aman and the Sarsabzi intersection, told Khaama Press, “I earn six thousand salary, and if I spend it on taxi fares, nothing will be left for me.”

Habibullah says he earns 200 Afghanis some days and 400 Afghanis on others, but a significant portion of this money again goes towards vehicle taxes. He likens his taxi-driving job to a bird endlessly wandering an unknown path.

He has parked his vehicle in a corner and is talking about his health issues. Diabetes and heart problems are among Habibullah’s health concerns. Beside him is a pot of tea and a piece of flatbread, part of which he eats in the morning and the rest around 12:00 PM if he gets the chance.

He says he currently has a debt of 25,000. To change the color of his taxi from the previous color to blue, he borrowed money and has not been able to pay it back yet.

Hard times in Kabul: Debt-ridden driver survives on a loaf of bread
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US State Dept Asks Pakistan to Respect ‘Non-Return Advisory’

Meanwhile, some Afghan migrants in Pakistan have complained about their dire conditions.

As the deportation of Afghan migrants continues from Pakistan, the U.S. State Department has requested the Pakistani government not to deport Afghan migrants from the country.

Matthew Miller, the U.S. State Department spokesperson, said at a press conference that in light of the situation in Afghanistan, the U.S. encourages Afghanistan’s neighbors, especially Islamabad, to refrain from deporting Afghan migrants.

“We will continue to work with the Government of Pakistan to address any issues or concerns. It is in both our countries’ interests to ensure the safe and efficient resettlement of those individuals. And we will continue to encourage Afghanistan’s neighbors, including Pakistan, to respect the non-return advisory, given the dire situation in Afghanistan, and to coordinate with international humanitarian organizations to provide humanitarian assistance, and to support the implementation of critical protection screening mechanisms,” Miller added.

Meanwhile, some Afghan migrants in Pakistan have complained about their dire conditions.

“I ask the government of Pakistan, human rights-supporting countries, and the United Nations to assist these migrants who have sought refuge here today and are far from their homes, they need your help, cooperation, and kindness,” Shafiqullah Kohzad, an Afghan migrant in Pakistan, told TOLOnews.

“We do not have access to basic services in Pakistan. We cannot freely receive medical treatment in hospitals.” said Mohammad Sirat, another Afghan migrant in Pakistan.

In addition to the deportation and difficult conditions of Afghan migrants in Pakistan, Afghan migrants in Iran are also facing a similar plight.

The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation reported that nearly 3,000 Afghan migrants have been voluntarily and forcibly returned to the country from Iran yesterday (Wednesday, May 8).

US State Dept Asks Pakistan to Respect ‘Non-Return Advisory’
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Study: Afghanistan’s Challenges With Neighbors Can Be Solved By Dialogue

According to officials from these institutions, they have conducted discussions with government figures and citizens of the country in this study.

The Sahar Union Discourse Center and the Iranian Research and Study Delegation said that their research findings indicate that Afghanistan’s current challenges can be resolved through dialogue with neighboring countries.

According to officials from these institutions, they have conducted discussions with government figures and citizens of the country in this study.

Fazl Rahman Orya, head of the Sahar Discourse Center, emphasizing the expansion of relations with neighboring countries by the interim government, said that some of the existing challenges in various sectors can be resolved through dialogue with neighboring countries and the region.

Orya also announced the holding of an international conference on Afghan issues in Tehran.

The head of the Sahar Discourse Center said: “Our first agreement was to hold an international conference on Afghanistan in Iran, under a unified agenda that will be discussed together, and another agreement that took place is to hold an international conference on how the Islamic world is oppressed and tyrannized by the West, to be held in Kabul.”

Meanwhile, the strategic advisor to the Iranian ambassador in Kabul emphasized the importance of combating terrorism and narcotics, and the formation of a unified regional policy and security agreements among Afghanistan’s neighboring countries.

Seyed Ali Moujani also said that the issue of terrorism should not affect the relations of the interim government with neighboring countries and the region.

Seyed Ali Moujani added: “We should be able to reach a security pact among all neighbors and Afghanistan; a pact that represents six countries plus one country, Afghanistan. This is a six-plus-one union that can guarantee Afghanistan’s future.”

The strategic advisor to the Iranian ambassador in Kabul also emphasized the importance of facilitating discussions among various directions inside and outside of Afghanistan and added that the political stability of Afghanistan depends on the formation of an inclusive and responsible government.

Seyed Ali Moujani said: “A successful government in the history of Afghanistan is a stable government. The history of Afghanistan has shown that a government of a single ethnicity, a single language, and political coups have never been stable.”

According to the officials of the Sahar Discourse Center, this center was established on February 07, 2024, to facilitate discussions among different directions inside and outside of Afghanistan and to advise the government on overcoming the existing challenges in the country.

Study: Afghanistan’s Challenges With Neighbors Can Be Solved By Dialogue
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