They fled Afghanistan after Biden’s withdrawal. Now in the US, they hope Trump wins

The Guardian

With the Afghan new year, or Nowruz, falling during the month of Ramadan this year, Afghans and Afghan Americans around the US who celebrated while fasting prepared with a few traditional dishes to share after sundown last week.

Zuhra, 30, had some of her relatives over to her house in Santa Ana, California. She decorated her dining table green, to celebrate spring, and made haft mewa, an Afghan dish prepared with seven different dried fruits and nuts, which her husband loves.

“Now our life is good,” she said. For years, things had been different.

Two white men wearing suits and ties
Biden administration failures drove the fall of Kabul, say top former US generals

Zuhra, who asked to be identified only by her first name for fear of reprisal for speaking to the press, arrived in southern California in November 2022, a little more than a year after the US’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Back in her home country, Zuhra said, she held a master’s degree in business administration, had a good career working in human resources for US companies and agencies, and owned her home

“We wanted to stay and serve our people,” she said.

But having worked with foreigners, Zuhra and her husband knew they were at risk as soon as the Taliban took over in August 2021. Zuhra had applied years earlier for a special immigrant visa, or SIV, a coveted and hard-to-get visa established in 2006 for Afghans who had been employed by or on behalf of the US government. Congress is considering adding 12,000 new SIVs for Afghans in its latest funding deal negotiations. Fearful of being arrested, she stopped driving or working late, and covered her face to avoid standing out in public.

Eventually, she chose to move to California, home to the largest Afghan community in the US, to be near relatives who settled here decades ago.

But while finally in safety, the family struggled to rebuild their lives.

Zuhra and her husband had a hard time finding work and an affordable place to rent. Even now, she worries that they will be unable to save any money for their four-year-old son’s future.

Numerous Afghans who have found refuge in the US since the US withdrawal have encountered similar challenges.

The non-profit Tiyya Foundation helps newly arrived immigrants in southern California find work and housing. They also help newly arrived immigrants find work, and directly employ some of them – like Zuhra, who works for the organization as a translator.

Beatrice Kihagi, Tiyya’s family services specialist, explains that having community support makes the challenges of living in one of the most expensive parts of the US more manageable. But it remains tough, she said.

Many of these families did well in their home countries, and their kids at times struggle to adjust to their new reality, Kihagi said: “It’s so hard for them because they could see the kind of life they had back at home was much better than here”– financially, at least. Kihagi says this weighs on parents mentally.

Samir, who asked to be identified by an alias for fear of retaliation against his family in Afghanistan, obtained an SIV and moved his family of six to southern California in August 2023. He worked on agriculture and infrastructure projects for USAid, the United States Agency for International Development, across the southern province of Uruzgan.

He described a harrowing journey leaving his home country, crossing Taliban checkpoints, flying through multiple countries and juggling paperwork, an infant and enormous suitcases. “Not the small luggage,” he explained. “The big luggage, because my wife was willing to take everything.”

His children ran around happily as the family attended a recent Tiyya event called “tea and tots” that gathers families for playdates at a park. He said the biggest opportunity he has in the United States is to educate his daughters, which he couldn’t do in Afghanistan. Now, they speak English, he said proudly, and know how to talk to teachers and do their homework. “When it’s morning early, they are happy to get ready very fast to go to school,” he said. He added his wife is slowly becoming excited to learn to drive.

But the first two months in California were difficult. Samir struggled to get housing because landlords asked for proof of income or a co-signer. He said: “I told them, I’m new. I don’t have income. I don’t know anybody.” He said every step was difficult, and the stress and depression weighed on him, until they found an apartment and could begin remaking their lives.

As the US weighs who should occupy the White House come January 2025, Samir said most college-educated Afghans he knows, and those who worked in the country’s former government, don’t like Joe Biden because of how he handled the withdrawal of US troops in 2021. “They left us and our lives in danger,” he said.

Samir said he’s concerned about illegal immigration and worries that people without the proper paperwork – something he waited for – will have a more difficult journey settling in the US, and that they will compete for resources he depends on. “I hope that we will have the president to support the legal immigrants,” he said.

He thinks Afghans who hold US citizenship, and can vote in November, will look at whoever is doing the most to help refugees.

Zuhra said she’s too new to the US to be able to comment on politics, but she’s noticed the contentiousness of the 2024 election. “There’s division here like there was in Afghanistan,” she said.

She said her relatives who are US citizens are leaning towards voting for Donald Trump.

Roien Rahimi came to the U.S. from Afghanistan almost three years ago and now works for an organization that supports refugees’ mental health. He, too, is still struggling, he said. “I have to work even during the weekend, so I can afford the expenses.”

This makes it difficult to pay attention to the political climate of his new home. “Afghan new immigrants, they’re struggling with their life right now. It’s a bit far to think about the election,” he said. He said he doesn’t follow politics much, but spoke favorably of Donald Trump, and mentioned concerns over Joe Biden’s age. “If they bring good life to people of the US, we are happy. That’s what matters,” Rahimi concluded.

They fled Afghanistan after Biden’s withdrawal. Now in the US, they hope Trump wins
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79% of People Lack Access to Clean Water In Afghanistan: UN

However, the Ministry of Energy and Water said that efforts to manage groundwater in the country continue.

Coinciding with World Water Day, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) stated that 79% of the country’s population lacks access to sufficient clean water.

In its latest report, UNDP considers drought, economic instability, and past unrest as reasons that have led to the water crisis in the country.

“Severe drought conditions, economic instability, and the devastating effects of prolonged conflicts have significantly impaired the country’s water infrastructure. The situation is further aggravated by the impact of climate change and extreme weather events, which have led to the destruction of vital water sources and facilities,” the report reads.

However, the Ministry of Energy and Water said that efforts to manage groundwater in the country continue.

The ministry said that in this solar year, 300 projects aimed at water management in various provinces of the country are to be implemented.

According to the Ministry of Energy and Water, the reconstruction work of six major water projects, including the Pashtun dam, Kamal Khan dam, Turi Bakhshabad dam, and Shah and Arous dam, is underway.

“The work on the Kamal Khan dam in Nimroz is 98% complete and is expected to be operational in the current solar year. The work on the Shah and Arous dam in Kabul is 79% complete and is expected to be operational in the current solar year. The first phase of the Bakhshabad dam in Farah will be completed in the current solar year. The work on the Pashtun dam in Herat is 75% complete, and so far, 900 million afghani have been spent on this dam, and it will be operational in the current solar year. The reconstruction work on the Turi Zabol dam has progressed by 90% and will be operational in the current solar year,” the ministry said.

“In terms of water management, the Ministry of Energy and Water has currently started work on more than six dams such as Bakhshabad dam, Band-e-Pashdan dam, Turi dam, and others,” said Matyullah Abed, spokesperson for the Ministry of Energy and Water.

World Water Day arrives while Afghanistan, despite being rich in water resources, still faces unresolved problems of water scarcity, especially clean drinking water.

“Afghanistan only uses thirty percent of the water produced annually in this country; seventy percent remains unused due to lack of infrastructure, water storage facilities, and water distribution systems,” said Najibullah Sedid, a water management expert.

“A clear solution for managing underground water both within Afghanistan and across borders should be considered where all criteria are taken into account,” said Hamidullah Yalani, another water management expert.

On Thursday the acting Minister of Energy and Water also announced the construction of 11 more check dams at a cost of more than 30 million afghanis in eleven districts of Kabul.

“The benefit of these dams is that they store water and release it into springs and canals for irrigation,” said Abdul Latif Mansoor, the acting minister of Energy and Water.

UNDP in its latest report also stated that in the past two years, 67% of families in Afghanistan have been affected by drought-related problems and another 16% by floods.

79% of People Lack Access to Clean Water In Afghanistan: UN
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Officials: Over 1,200 Drug Factories Destroyed Since Islamic Emirate Return

Some experts said that the Islamic Emirate should educate the public about the harms of drugs and provide alternative crops for farmers.

The Counter-Narcotics Directorate of the Ministry of Interior stated that since the return of the Islamic Emirate, over 1,200 large and small drug processing factories have been destroyed in the country.

Haseebullah Ahmadi, the head of the counter-narcotics office of the Ministry of Interior, said that the Islamic Emirate is committed to fighting drugs in the country and that drug trafficking, cultivation, and trade in the country have nearly reached zero.

Ahmadi said: “About 1,250 alcohol and drug processing factories in various provinces of the country have been destroyed, and the serious fight against the cultivation, trafficking, and trade of drugs in the country continues.”

The head of the counter-narcotics office of the MoI warns that individuals who still engage in the cultivation, trafficking, and the trade of drugs will be referred to judicial and legal authorities.

Haseebullah Ahmadi said: “The Islamic Emirate is committed to the fight against drugs and intends to allow no one to engage in the cultivation, trafficking, and trade of drugs. If someone continues to do so, they will be introduced to judicial and legal authorities.”

Some experts said that the Islamic Emirate should educate the public about the harms of drugs and provide alternative crops for farmers.

Gul Mohammaddin Mohammadi, a political affairs expert, said: “In the fight against drugs, public awareness is needed, and alongside it, alternative programs should be implemented for farmers so that people refrain from cultivating drugs.”

Najib Rahman Shamal, another expert, said: “I hope the interim government of Afghanistan can cooperate and support the neighboring and regional countries in the fight against cultivation, trafficking, and trade of drugs.”

According to the Counter-Narcotics Directorate of the Ministry of Interior, 15,500 hectares of crops used for illicit drugs in various provinces of the country have also been cleared.

Officials: Over 1,200 Drug Factories Destroyed Since Islamic Emirate Return
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Mujahid Urges US Envoy to Consider Afghanistan’s Progress on His Trips

Tolo News
23 March 2024

Mujahid added that the interim government has had good achievements in the areas of security, economy, and anti-corruption.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, said that the US special representative for Afghanistan Thomas West should take into account the current progress in Afghanistan during his travels to countries in the region and meetings with officials from various countries.

Mujahid added that the interim government has had good achievements in the areas of security, economy, and anti-corruption.

The spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate told TOLOnews: “Our position is that the advances in security and stability in Afghanistan should be considered and supported, as this will lead to various dimensions and also lead to regional security and the alleviation of concerns.”

This comes as the US special representative for Afghanistan Thomas West recently traveled to India and discussed the development of diplomatic relations with Afghanistan with some officials of that country.

West said on X: “Great to return to India and connect with close colleagues about the way ahead in Afghanistan. Spent valuable time with HE Foreign Secretary Kwatra and Joint Secretary JP Singh. India continues to deliver critical humanitarian aid and medicine to the Afghan people, and we discussed 2024 needs. Also exchanged views on development of a unified diplomatic approach in support of collective interests.”

Sayed Ishaq Gilani, leader of the National Solidarity Movement of Afghanistan, told TOLOnews: “The major countries are in no hurry like us; they want to investigate something, gather general opinions, and then act again. The best thing will be to facilitate discussions with Afghans.”

Bilal Fatemi, a political expert, referring to Thomas West’s trip, said: “Not only humanitarian aid to Afghanistan is being discussed in this trip, but it is above that, and they just make it appear as if the topic is aid to Afghanistan.”

Thomas West, the US special representative for Afghanistan, is expected to travel to the United Arab Emirates after his trip to India this week.

Mujahid Urges US Envoy to Consider Afghanistan’s Progress on His Trips
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UNSC on Kandahar Attack: Terrorism Is Unjustifiable Anywhere

The United Nations Security Council condemned the “heinous terrorist attack” in Kandahar on Thursday, March 21.

The Security Council in a statement drafted by Japan said that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations is one of the most serious threats to peace and security in Afghanistan and the world.

“The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to peace and security in Afghanistan as well as in the world. The members of the Security Council underline the need to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers, and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice,” the statement reads.

Concurrently, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan and the embassies of Japan and Turkey for Afghanistan have also condemned this attack.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan in its statement has called terrorism a common concern of both countries and has called for a bilateral attention to this matter.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry in a statement strongly condemned the terrorist attack that took place in Kandahar on Thursday.

The statement said that Pakistan reiterates its strong condemnation of terrorism in “all its forms and manifestations.” Terrorism is a “shared concern that both countries need to address through collective efforts,” the statement said.

“The Government and the people of Pakistan extend their sincere condolences to the bereaved families and pray for the early recovery of the injured. Pakistan reiterates its strong condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Terrorism is a shared concern that both countries need to address through collective efforts,” the statement said.

“Unfortunately, 40 years of war in the region have created extremist groups, and there is no doubt that some countries use these groups for their strategic interests,” said Tariq Farhadi, international relations analyst.

Meanwhile, The United Nations Assistance mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and The US Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls, and Human Rights, Rina Amiri have also called for accountability for the perpetrators of such attacks in Afghanistan.

“UNAMA unequivocally condemns yesterday’s Islamic State (KP)-claimed attack in Kandahar that left dozens killed or wounded. Such abhorrent acts, during Ramadan or any other time, should have no place in Afghanistan,” said UNAMA on X.

“Daesh is an oppressive phenomenon that does not see the right path and targets civilians; however, their hideouts have been destroyed, and they themselves are on the verge of extinction. Insha Allah, the Islamic Emirate has ordered its forces to be active against all Daesh actions in all areas,” said Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman of the Islamic Emirate.

Although the Islamic Emirate has not yet shared the casualty figures of this event, the spokesperson for the Kandahar Security Command had previously stated that three people were killed and twelve were injured in this incident. However, some sources have told TOLOnews that the number of fatalities is higher than that reported.

UNSC on Kandahar Attack: Terrorism Is Unjustifiable Anywhere
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Republicans continue to hammer Biden for Afghan exit

The Washington Post
March 20, 2024
A House hearing on Afghanistan put Democrats on the defensive about an issue the White House had hoped to leave behind

The top two generals who oversaw the deadly evacuation of Afghanistan faced renewed scrutiny Tuesday as House Republicans escalated their campaign to hold President Biden accountable for the fiasco and Democrats accused Donald Trump of setting the conditions for the Kabul government’s collapse.

Retired Gens. Mark A. Milley and Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie, career military officers who served in senior roles under both presidents, testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee as part of its oversight investigation of the United States’ calamitous exit, in August 2021, from a 20-year war.

McKenzie said that although the Pentagon had developed a plan to withdraw all U.S. troops, diplomats, citizens and at-risk Afghan partners months before the Taliban’s return to power, Biden instead decided to leave open the U.S. Embassy and withdraw all but a few hundred military personnel — ultimately leaving tens of thousands in harm’s way.

“I think the fundamental mistake — the fundamental flaw — was the timing of the State Department call” for evacuation, Milley said. “I think that was too slow and too late, and that then caused the series of events that result in the very last couple of days.”

The recurring political spotlight on the conflict’s closing days, marked by scenes of gruesome violence and desperation, has forced Democrats to confront a dark moment during Biden’s tenure as president while he campaigns against his predecessor for a second term as commander in chief.

Many Democratic lawmakers have joined their Republican colleagues in criticizing the administration’s handling of the withdrawal. But with the anticipated election rematch between Trump and Biden months away, they face pressure to defend his position that it was Trump in 2020 who boxed in Biden by accepting a deal with the Taliban that put few conditions on a U.S. departure the following year.

Throughout the hearing, both sides took turns trying to demonstrate their respect for the generals while prodding them to acknowledge the other party’s president as the person ultimately responsible for the evacuation fiasco.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Tex.), the committee chairman, said the White House “refused” to listen to warnings about what was happening in Afghanistan as the Taliban made recaptured cities and districts on their march to Kabul. The State Department, he said, never called for a full evacuation until Aug. 14, 2021, one day before the Afghan government fled the country and thousands of civilians overran the city’s airport in a frantic bid to do so themselves.

“As the saying goes, ‘If you fail to plan, you plan to fail,’” McCaul said of the Biden administration. “And fail they did.”

He produced an interim report around the second anniversary of the evacuation last August and is expected to release a final version this summer.

A State Department investigation released last June found that the agency gave “insufficient senior-level consideration of worst-case scenarios” and how quickly those could occur after Biden decided to follow through with Trump’s decision to withdraw. The agency also did not have anyone clearly in the lead on preparation for a full evacuation, that investigation found.

A State Department official, asked about Tuesday’s hearing, said the agency is “immensely proud of the work done, under incredibly difficult circumstances, to ensure the relocation of U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and Afghans throughout the withdrawal and the period that followed.”

Both retired generals said their remarks were consistent with hours of testimony they provided while still on active duty — a point that Rep. Gregory W. Meeks (N.Y.), the committee’s top Democrat, sought to emphasize.

“There’s nothing groundbreaking here!” Meeks said, urging lawmakers to look instead at the war’s totality, not just how it ended. The bipartisan Afghanistan War Commission that was convened last year to scrutinize the entire 20-year war is expected to issue findings within four years.

Among those present at the hearing were the families of several U.S. troops killed in a bombing on the outskirts of the Kabul airport as the 17-day evacuation raced to a close. The explosion followed days of public warnings from the Biden administration that the Islamic State, which operates a branch in Afghanistan, was poised to attack. An estimated 170 Afghans died in the suicide strike alongside 13 American service members. Dozens more were wounded.

Reps. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) and Michael Lawler (R-N.Y.) assailed McKenzie and Milley for not seeking out the testimony of a Marine sniper, Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews, who has said that shortly before the attack, he spotted a man in the crowd who met the description of the suicide bomber but was denied permission to shoot him. Vargas-Andrews, who was severely wounded in the explosion and was present at the hearing Tuesday, provided lawmakers last year with an emotional account of the bombing and its aftermath, compelling the Pentagon to review the findings of its investigation of the incident. The results of that review are expected to be made public soon.

McKenzie and Pentagon leaders told the public in 2022 that the airport bombing was “not preventable.

Rep. Michael Waltz (R.-Fla.), a retired Special Forces officer, said he was infuriated recalling how Biden, in the weeks before the crisis, downplayed the prospect of Afghanistan falling to the Taliban. In one instance, Waltz noted, Biden said in July 2021 that it was “highly unlikely” the Taliban would overrun the country — even though the generals had privately warned that such an outcome could happen swiftly.

“My assessment at the time was if we went to zero on U.S. military forces, then there was a high likelihood of a collapse of the government of Afghanistan, and the [Afghan forces], with the Taliban taking over,” Milley told lawmakers Tuesday. “But I personally thought it was going to be in the fall, somewhere around Thanksgiving. Assessments varied widely.”

The White House, asked about Milley’s testimony, cited a document the White House released last spring saying that when Biden assumed office, he undertook a “deliberate, intensive, rigorous, and inclusive decision-making process” about how to handle the war. “Ultimately, President Biden refused to send another generation of Americans to fight a war that should have ended for the United States long ago,” it states.

Several Democrats on the panel sought to highlight what they said were Republican inconsistencies on Afghanistan policy. They noted that GOP outrage over the abandonment of U.S. allies stranded amid the military airlift that carried 124,000 people to safety should translate into meaningful help for Afghans left behind and those who were resettled in the United States.

Afghan advocates, included leading U.S. military veterans groups, have warned that thousands of Afghans who served the U.S. mission remain in Afghanistan and that the State Department will soon run out of Special Immigrant Visas for them unless Congress acts.

There are approximately 20,000 Afghans — not counting their family members — who have received preliminary approval and “will soon require visas,” a bipartisan group of senators led by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) wrote last week in a letter to Senate leaders. As of March 1, “there were approximately 7,000 visas remaining,” they said.

Rep. Jason Crow (D-Col0.), an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, urged his colleagues to sign on to the Afghan Allies Protection Act, a bipartisan bill consistently thwarted by Republicans. Congress can still “save lives by passing this bill and providing a pathway for our friends to get out,” Crow said.

Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), wondered what it will take for Americans to be able to visit Afghanistan in a similar fashion to how he visited Vietnam to see where his father was killed.

“It will take years upon years upon years,” Milley responded. “ … I believe the Taliban are still a terrorist organization. I still believe that they conduct incredible, horrific retribution inside their own country, and I would not recommend to any family member at this time to return.”

Milley added that he will have a difficult time ever reconciling with the Taliban. “I’ll probably go to the grave with it,” he said.

Republicans continue to hammer Biden for Afghan exit
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Afghanistan: IS claims responsibility for suicide bomb at Kandahar bank

BBC News

22 March 2024

Empics Relatives attend the funeral of an Afghan man who was killed in a suicide attack at Kabul bank, in Kandahar, Afghanistan
Relatives attend the funeral of a man killed in a suicide attack in Kandahar

At least 21 people have been killed in a suicide bombing in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, a hospital doctor has told the BBC.

The Taliban government says a suicide attack took place at a city centre bank at about 08:00 (03:30 GMT).

It puts the death toll at three. Police said a number of others were wounded.

The Islamic State (IS) group has claimed responsibility, and says it was targeting the Taliban.

According to a report issued by IS’s “news agency” Amaq, the group claimed the attacker detonated his suicide belt among the crowd of “around 150” Taliban members.

The blast, believed to be the biggest in Afghanistan this year, took place at a branch where Afghan government employees were queueing to collect their salaries.

A doctor from Mirwais hospital, the region’s largest, spoke to the BBC on condition of anonymity. “So far 21 dead and at least 50 people injured from the explosion have been brought in,” he said.

Kandahar is the seat of power of the Taliban, the base of their supreme commander.

While the overall security situation in Afghanistan has improved since the Taliban gained complete control with the full withdrawal of foreign troops in 2021, there continue to be dozens of bombings and suicide attacks in the country each year.

Many of them have targeted Afghanistan’s Hazara ethnic minority and have been claimed by Islamic State Khorasan Province, or ISKP, the regional affiliate of the so-called Islamic State group, a major rival of the Taliban.

Afghanistan: IS claims responsibility for suicide bomb at Kandahar bank
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At the beginning academic year, girls in Afghanistan await school reopening

Written By: Hakim Bigzaad

As the 1403 academic year starts in the country, female students beyond the sixth grade are asking the Taliban administration to let them attend their classes.

The Ministry of Education of the de facto administration rang the school bell on Wednesday, the first of the month, during a meeting. However, this bell was only rung for boys, and the fate of female students above the sixth grade is still shrouded in ambiguity.

Mahdeya, a girl who graduated from the sixth grade last year and is now unable to continue her studies, is urging the Taliban to open the doors of schools for girls above the sixth grade as well.

Speaking to a reporter from Khaama Press, she said, “I completed the sixth-grade last year, but I am prepared for the new year as well. I hope I can return to my class again.”

Meanwhile, Abdul Salam Hanafi, the administrative deputy of the Prime Minister’s Office of the Taliban, stated during a school bell-ringing ceremony that they have no opposition to modern sciences. However, none of the officials of the Taliban spoke about the reopening of girls’ schools in this gathering.

Hanafi added, “Whether in science or modern technology, we must either move forward with others or at least keep pace with the world.”

The Ministry of Education has asked girls attending school to observe Islamic hijab and dress according to the guidelines of the Taliban administration.

Sara, another female student in the twelfth grade, says they are ready to observe the Islamic hijab. She adds, “If there is an issue with the hijab, we consider it, but they should allow us to pursue our aspirations.”

Meanwhile, the US State Department called the exclusion of girls from schools “heartbreaking.” The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan also said in a statement that Afghan girls have been deprived of education for over 900 days.

At the beginning academic year, girls in Afghanistan await school reopening
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World Concerns on Deprivation of Girls from Education in New Academic Year

According to this embassy, the ban on girls’ education is a “violation of rights” that leaves a “terrible toll” on Afghan society.

In response to the continued closure of girls’ schools above the sixth grade and universities in Afghanistan, the German Foreign Ministry has called on the Islamic Emirate to reopen schools and universities for girls.

The ministry, expressing concern about educational restrictions in Afghanistan, on X said that with the start of the new academic year in the country, middle school, high school, and female university students have once again been deprived of education.

At the same time, the Dutch Embassy in Afghanistan has called the start of the new academic year a “black day” for more than one million girls and women in Afghanistan who have been deprived of education for the third consecutive year.

According to this embassy, the ban on girls’ education is a “violation of rights” that leaves a “terrible toll” on Afghan society.

Alison Davidian, the UN special representative for women in Afghanistan, said that the education of Afghan girls is key to unlocking a brighter future for the people of Afghanistan.

She said that the Afghan girls belong in classrooms.

Allowing all girls to go to school and ensuring women’s rights in Afghanistan is one of the main prerequisites of the international community for recognizing the Islamic Emirate government.

World Concerns on Deprivation of Girls from Education in New Academic Year
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50% of Afghans Live in Poverty: Advocacy Advisor of NRC

The World Food Programme has also added in its recent report that it has helped more than seven million people in Afghanistan in the past month.

Becky Roby, advocacy adviser for the Norwegian Refugee Council Afghanistan (NRC), quoted the World Bank, as saying that 50% of Afghan citizens live in poverty.

Officials of NRC in Afghanistan have assured that they will continue their support for the people of Afghanistan, especially women and children, under current conditions.

The advocacy adviser for NRC Afghanistan, said: “In addition to the emergency humanitarian assistance that we are providing, we start to prioritize long-term assistance and that helps people to find durable lasting solutions to the displacement.”

The World Food Programme has also added in its recent report that it has helped more than seven million people in Afghanistan in the past month.

Meanwhile, a number of economic analysts emphasized the continuation of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and considered delivering aid to needy families as important.

“Under current conditions, the level of unemployment and poverty in the country is high. In this situation, delivering humanitarian aid by the World Food Programme to the Afghan people and distributing it transparently to needy families is very essential,” said Mir Shekib Mir, an economic analyst.

“Despite many flaws and shortcomings, these aids can solve some of the people’s problems and reduce part of the poverty,” said Sayed Masood, an economic analyst.

The Ministry of Economy emphasized the continuation of aid in the country.

Abdul Latif Nazari, Deputy Minister of Economy, said, “Aid agencies can help improve the economic situation of Afghanistan in humanitarian and developmental dimensions by continuing their aid, and our request is that all international institutions continue their support.”

The World Food Programme statistics showed that nearly 16 million people in Afghanistan are facing food insecurity.

50% of Afghans Live in Poverty: Advocacy Advisor of NRC
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