Khalilzad: Doha Agreement Can Serve as a Framework for Cooperation

November 15, 2024
Mohammad Bashir Soltani
Tolo News
14 Nov 2024

Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai further mentioned that the Islamic Emirate favors positive relations with all countries, including the United States.

Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, stated at a gathering at the University of Florida that the Doha Agreement is the only official agreement between the US and the interim government of Afghanistan.

Speaking at the Institute of Global and National Security at the University of Florida, the former US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation stressed that the interim government still claims to be committed to the Doha Agreement, which could serve as a basis for Washington’s engagement with Kabul.

Zalmay Khalilzad stated: “The agreement is the only thing that we have with the Talibs that is relatively authoritative. The Talibs still say they are adhering to the Doha agreement. So, from that point of view too, this might be a way. I don’t want to – as I said – raise expectations, but that may be among alternatives that exist. This framework would be one.”

Meanwhile, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate also expressed during an event in Kabul that the caretaker government hopes the new US administration will reconsider its current policy towards Afghanistan. Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai further mentioned that the Islamic Emirate favors positive relations with all countries, including the United States.

Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai added in this program: “Our hope from the future US administration is that it will review its policy towards Afghanistan and the Islamic Emirate and take positive steps.”

Abdul Shukoor Dadras, a political analyst, shared his views on the implementation of the Doha Agreement, stating: “The Islamic Emirate also has criticisms, claiming that at times the United States and NATO interfere in Afghanistan in ways that violate the Doha Agreement.”

This comes as the Islamic Emirate and the US have repeatedly accused each other of violating the Doha Agreement. Previously, the White House stated that if the caretaker government seeks to lift sanctions and gain international legitimacy, it must adhere to its commitments under the Doha Agreement.

Khalilzad: Doha Agreement Can Serve as a Framework for Cooperation
read more

Afghanistan’s annual Carpet Production exceeds three million square meters

November 13, 2024
Khaama Press

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has reported that Afghanistan’s annual  carpet production has surged to an unprecedented level, reaching an estimated value of around $330 million per year.

On Monday, November 11, USAID posted on its X page, emphasizing its continued support for Afghanistan’s carpet industry.

According to USAID statistics, annual carpet production in Afghanistan has grown from 1.1 million square meters to 3.3 million square meters.

The agency highlighted that this industry now supports around 1.2 million jobs, with women playing a crucial role, making up about 90 percent of the carpet production workforce.

USAID described Afghanistan  carpets as “a powerful product with high economic value and extraordinary international appeal.”

Previously, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce reported that carpet exports to global markets had increased over the past year, reaching a total of $8.7 million.

According to the ministry, most Afghanistan carpets are exported to Pakistan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Italy, the United States, the United Kingdom, and several other countries.

This growth in the carpet industry brings vital economic support to Afghanistan’s workforce, particularly women, who are heavily involved in this sector.

Despite these achievements, the restrictions on education and employment imposed on Afghan women and girls exacerbate poverty and the humanitarian crisis in the country.

Additionally, these restrictions have led to a rise in forced and underage marriages, further worsening the plight of women and girls as they face limited opportunities for education and employment.

The resilience of Afghan women in sectors like carpet weaving contrasts sharply with the challenges they face, highlighting the urgent need for supportive policies to address gender inequity and safeguard their rights.

Afghanistan’s annual Carpet Production exceeds three million square meters
read more

Iran to transfer 1,000 Afghan prisoners to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan

November 13, 2024
Khaama Press

Askar Jalalian, Iran’s Deputy Minister of Justice for International Affairs and Human Rights, announced that within the next two months, 1,000 Afghan prisoners will be transferred to Afghanistan.

He also expressed intentions to visit Kabul to discuss the transfer of these prisoners and the repatriation of Iranian detainees in Afghanistan with the Taliban.

According to a report by ISNA on Wednesday, November 13, Jalalian stated that the agreement for transferring convicts between Iran and Afghanistan was established in 2006, and the Taliban are committed to this official accord.

He added, “I am now heading to Kabul to negotiate the transfer of Afghan prisoners in Tehran and the repatriation of Iranian prisoners in Afghanistan.”

Jalalian detailed that the Afghan prisoners, upon being handed over to the Taliban, will serve the remainder of their sentences in Afghanistan.

He noted that most of these Afghan inmates are convicted of drug-related offenses.

The Iranian judicial official claimed that the transfer of Afghan prisoners to their homeland is conducted with their consent.

Jalalian emphasized that if a prisoner does not consent, they will not be returned to Afghanistan. Additionally, these prisoners should not have private complainants or debts, and their sentences should not include execution or retribution.

Jalalian stated, “According to the latest statistics, the number of Iranian detainees in Afghanistan is less than ten, and we are striving to repatriate them through a logical process based on the agreement.”

Previously, when Afghan prisoners were handed over from Iranian prisons to the Taliban, concerns were raised that some of them might be opponents of the group and could face human rights violations.

The situation of Afghan refugees and detainees highlights significant human rights concerns. Many Afghan refugees, fleeing conflict and instability, often find themselves in precarious conditions without adequate legal protection.

The lack of access to legal representation and judicial institutions for prisoners exacerbates their vulnerability, leading to potential violations of their fundamental rights.

Ensuring that detainees have access to attorneys and fair legal processes is crucial in upholding human rights standards.

Addressing these issues requires collaborative efforts between nations to uphold international human rights obligations, ensuring that refugees and prisoners are treated with dignity and have access to justice.

Iran to transfer 1,000 Afghan prisoners to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan
read more

WFP: Food Crisis Persists in Afghanistan

November 13, 2024
Sabria Abdal
Tolo News
13 Nov 2024

According to this report, despite minor improvements, 11.6 million people in Afghanistan still face crisis-level food insecurity or worse.

The World Food Program (WFP) has reported a slight improvement in food security in Afghanistan; however, food needs remain very high in the country.

According to this report, despite minor improvements, 11.6 million people in Afghanistan still face crisis-level food insecurity or worse.

The organization attributes this situation to fundamental causes, including unemployment, family debt, low income, the return of migrants from neighboring countries, and fluctuations in food prices.

The World Food Program projects that approximately 3.5 million children under five and 1.15 million pregnant and breastfeeding women will suffer from acute malnutrition.

“With winter approaching, it is expected that more people will need emergency assistance, and the World Food Programme plans to assist more than 6 million people,” said Ziauddin Safi, the communications officer for the World Food Program.

Simultaneously, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that between January and August this year, 14.4 million people in Afghanistan received aid.
The organization noted that sudden crises continue to create new needs and exacerbate infrastructural vulnerabilities.

Sayed Rahman, a Kabul resident, said, “Winter is here, and snow will come. I have young children, and we need help—not just me but also those who have returned from neighboring countries with difficulty and lack basic resources.”

“Winter is coming, and we have neither coal nor wood. There is no assistance, and no one has helped us so far. We request help from our government,” said another Kabul resident, Amin Gul.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Economy says it is intensifying efforts to meet people’s needs. The ministry has requested that the international community enhance cooperation in infrastructure and agricultural development to help Afghanistan gradually achieve food self-sufficiency.

“Relying on existing economic capacities and focusing on national programs, such as transportation infrastructure and energy, supporting local production, and the private sector through trade facilitation and export development, as well as prioritizing job-creation sectors and small businesses to improve the economic situation, are among our priorities,” stated Abdul Rahman Habib, spokesperson for the Ministry of Economy.

Previously, Save the Children announced that it faces a $4.2 million shortfall to provide winter assistance to 18,000 vulnerable families in Afghanistan.

WFP: Food Crisis Persists in Afghanistan
read more

Baradar: Reducing Poverty, Job Creation ‘Priority’ for Islamic Emirate

November 13, 2024
Bibi Amina Hakimi
TOLOnews’ Reporter
13 Nov 2024

This conference was organized by the Central Bank of Afghanistan.

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, stated on Wednesday at the National Conference on Microfinance Opportunities and Challenges in Kabul that reducing poverty and unemployment, as well as creating job opportunities for citizens, are priorities for the Islamic Emirate.

This conference was organized by the Central Bank of Afghanistan and attended by senior officials from the Islamic Emirate, representatives of the United Nations, the European Union, and the World Bank, ambassadors, and a number of investors and businesspeople.

In the meeting, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar said: “Now more than ever, there is an opportunity to support the general public through financing small sectors and to provide them with job opportunities. Thanks to the security established across the country, transparency is in place, and people fulfill their financial obligations on time without anyone’s rights being infringed.”

Noor Ahmad Agha, acting head of the Central Bank, stated: “Da Afghanistan Bank (central bank) believes that micro-financing is an effective tool to improve financial inclusion and can create a significant difference in the country’s social and economic stability.”

Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi also remarked that Afghanistan’s economy over the past twenty years was artificial and that now the Islamic Emirate is working to address economic challenges through the launch of infrastructure projects.

The acting Foreign Minister said: “Unfortunately, in the past twenty years, Afghanistan’s economy was inflated, and an artificial economy was in place. The policies and practices of past years cultivated a dependency among the proud people of Afghanistan.”

Nooruddin Azizi, the acting Minister of Industry and Commerce, another speaker at the event, said: “Meaningful and practical cooperation among all stakeholders in the private sector can bring about economic stability and create job opportunities for all.”

Meanwhile, Roza Otunbayeva, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of UNAMA, stated that women in Afghanistan have limited opportunities for economic development. Otunbayeva urged the acting government officials to support women in Afghanistan.

Roza Otunbayeva added: “Women constitute more than 40% of existence microfinance beneficiaries. Women have limited opportunities for economic development and hence, we need to keep providing them microfinance assistance so that they can have decent leaving. I request authorities to continue to provide priority to women in the microfinance sector.”

During the meeting, two licenses were issued for institutions that finance companies, and eight additional licenses were granted to companies providing small loans to people.

Baradar: Reducing Poverty, Job Creation ‘Priority’ for Islamic Emirate
read more

OCHA Head: Efforts Being Made to Provide Winter Assistance

November 13, 2024
TOLOnews
TV Network
13 Nov 2024

Isabelle Moussard Carlsen reported that only 32% of OCHA’s total requested budget has been met from the beginning of the year until November.

Isabelle Moussard Carlsen, head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Afghanistan told TOLOnews in an exclusive interview that OCHA is striving to deliver aid to those in need during the upcoming winter season in Afghanistan.

Isabelle Moussard Carlsen stated that United Nations agencies and other humanitarian organizations have assisted 14 million people across Afghanistan this year. According to Carlsen, OCHA is developing its 2025 assistance program, focusing on food security, water scarcity, climate change, and natural disaster response.

The head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Afghanistan said: “First of all, we are still in preliminary numbers for 2025, the humanitarian respond needs plans will be published in December, so we still have a bit of time — couple of weeks — we are working very hard in getting all the information and having all the actors working with us in consulting to make sure that we have the best plan for 2025. And we are also at the same time starting to discuss and advocate with donors to ensure that there will be funding for the humanitarian response in Afghanistan in 2025.”

Moussard also attributed the temporary halting of some aid projects in Afghanistan to administrative obstacles and noted that United Nations agencies make impartial decisions in assisting vulnerable people based on their policies.

On this subject, she added: “It is not OCHA that is stopping because OCHA doesn’t have any projects. OCHA is a coordination body, so the partners that we are working with, have sometimes had to temporary — and its what the report says — suspension of project because they had issues of administrative natures and since we have to respect humanitarian principles, when we can’t respect them, we temporary suspend project till the administrative implements are solved.”

In another part of the interview, Isabelle Moussard Carlsen reported that only 32% of OCHA’s total requested budget has been met from the beginning of the year until November.

She further explained: “Depending on the provinces, the districts, the region, depending on the needs, it will be different types of assistance. And it also depends on the resources. This humanitarian needs and response plan I have talked about, as of October, it’s only be in 31, 32 percent funded, which means that there is a big gap of funding to cover all the needs.”

Although the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Coordination in Afghanistan has noted that the current situation in Afghanistan has improved compared to three years ago, it emphasized that the situation remains fragile and that citizens remain in a vulnerable state.

OCHA Head: Efforts Being Made to Provide Winter Assistance
read more

US spends over $14 billion on Afghan evacuation and resettlement: SIGAR

November 13, 2024
Khaama Press

The U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) announced that the United States has spent over $14 billion in the past three years on relocating and resettling Afghans in the U.S.

The Washington Times reported on Sunday, November 10, that this $14 billion was allocated to evacuation flights and resettlement programs for Afghan refugees in the United States.

According to the report, since the Taliban regained control on August 2021, the U.S. has not only spent billions on evacuation and resettlement but also sent over $3 billion to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

John Sopko, the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, told the newspaper that “the United States remains the largest donor to the Afghan people.”

Sopko noted that while Afghanistan continues to need humanitarian aid, what he described as “harassment of aid groups” has led to the shutdown of over 80 humanitarian operations in the country.

The U.S. continues to play a major role in supporting Afghan refugees and providing humanitarian assistance, even as challenges persist within Afghanistan under Taliban control.

Ongoing obstacles in delivering aid to Afghanistan highlight the complex relationship between the U.S. and the Taliban, raising concerns over the sustainability of humanitarian efforts in the region.

US spends over $14 billion on Afghan evacuation and resettlement: SIGAR
read more

Mine Clearance Organization warns of IED contamination in Afghanistan

November 13, 2024
Khaama Press

The Mine Clearance Organization recently announced that over 65 square kilometers of land in Afghanistan is contaminated with improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

The organization has called on the global community to increase political and financial support for clearing these devices from Afghanistan’s lands.

According to the Mine Clearance Organization, more than 65 square kilometers across 26 provinces in Afghanistan are currently affected by IEDs.

This announcement was made on Monday, November 11, through a report highlighting a 10% decrease in the number of anti-personnel mines cleared in contaminated areas.

The report states, “Sixty countries and various regions worldwide are contaminated by mines. The HALO Trust operates in one-third of these countries, including four heavily contaminated ones: Afghanistan with 2,235 de-miners, Cambodia with 1,191 staff, Iraq with 83 staff, and Ukraine with 1,376 staff.”

Afghanistan is among the countries with the highest contamination levels from landmines and unexploded ordnance left over from past conflicts. These explosive remnants are the second leading cause of civilian casualties in Afghanistan.

The urgency for mine clearance in Afghanistan cannot be overstated, given the severe impact on civilian safety and the hindrance to development in affected areas.

Increased international support is essential for accelerating demining efforts, saving lives, and fostering a safer environment for communities in Afghanistan.

Furthermore, addressing the mine contamination issue is critical not only for Afghanistan’s security but also for the stability and rebuilding efforts in the broader region.

Mine Clearance Organization warns of IED contamination in Afghanistan
read more

Special Team Formed to Assess Drought in Afghanistan: OCHA

November 13, 2024
Lailuma Qadiri
Tolo News
12 Nov 2024

Under this program, health, education, and cash assistance for heating homes in winter will be provided to 18,000 families.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has announced the formation of a task force to assess drought conditions in Afghanistan.

During a meeting with the acting director of the National Disaster Management Authority, the UN delegation stated that if signs of drought are identified by this team, $10 million will be allocated to manage the situation.

This task force includes the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Organization for Migration, UNICEF, and the Red Cross Federation.

“OCHA has set up a team which, if it encounters or confirms signs of drought in Afghanistan, will spend $10 million to provide improved seeds for farmers and livestock in Afghanistan,” said Janan Saiq, spokesperson for the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
Meanwhile, Save the Children has announced a shortfall of $4.2 million to implement its winter assistance program in Afghanistan.

Under this program, health, education, and cash assistance for heating homes in winter will be provided to 18,000 families.

Sayed Farooq, a Kabul resident, said, “I earn 80 to 100 afghani a day. How can I live with eight family members? If I buy flour, I can’t afford oil; if I buy oil, what about flour? Should I pay rent or buy food?”

“We earn 100 afghani a day. If we buy food, it’s not enough, and if we spend on other needs, food runs short. We ask the government to support us,” said Another Kabul resident, Mohammad Agha.

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Economy announced that the country has been affected by recent droughts and floods and needs global cooperation to address these issues.

“We seek cooperation in public welfare and infrastructure sectors as we need roads, bridges, and schools to be built, and we need to prevent the destruction of agricultural lands,” said Abdul Rahman Habib, spokesperson for the Ministry of Economy.

Previously, the World Food Program and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization reported an increase in food insecurity in 22 countries, including Afghanistan. According to the joint report, conflicts, climate crises, and economic pressures will put millions of people in critical conditions in the coming months.

Special Team Formed to Assess Drought in Afghanistan: OCHA
read more

Shaheen: Trump Seems ‘More Pragmatic,’ Relations Should Be ‘Realistic’

November 13, 2024
Mohammad Bashir Soltani
Tolo News
12 Nov 2024

Shaheen emphasized that the interim government is ready for positive engagement with all countries, including the United States.

The head of the Islamic Emirate’s political office in Qatar, Suhail Shaheen, told a Japanese media outlet that Afghanistan’s interim government is hopeful for strengthened ties between Kabul and Washington.

Shaheen referred to the Doha Agreement, describing Donald Trump as a pragmatic figure who, he expects, would realistically address current challenges. He told the Japanese media, “It seems Mr. Trump is more pragmatic, and I think we need to be realistic in solution of issues.”

Shaheen emphasized that the interim government is ready for positive engagement with all countries, including the United States. “We are open to positive engagement with the world and also the United States,” he said.

Before the US presidential election, the Islamic Emirate urged the incoming president to adopt a realistic policy toward Afghanistan.

Political analyst Mohammad Aslam Danishmal told TOLOnews, “Trump is not very interested in continuing conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, and he is more inclined to focus on countering China in the region.”

Sayed Akbar Sial Wardak, another political analyst, said: “The remaining provisions and annexes of the Doha Agreement, signed between the two parties, could be implemented through dialogue with the Islamic Emirate if Trump takes office.”

Previously, the White House had stated that if Afghanistan’s interim government seeks sanctions relief and international legitimacy, it must fulfill its commitments.

Shaheen: Trump Seems ‘More Pragmatic,’ Relations Should Be ‘Realistic’
read more

Recent Posts