Economic experts believe that China is a key country in creating job opportunities in Afghanistan through foundational and developmental projects.
The Acting Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development announced during a meeting with the Chinese ambassador in Kabul that the construction of the Wakhan road will soon be completed.
The Acting minister referred to the significance of the Wakhan road in the economic development between China and Afghanistan, stating that the initial work on this road is progressing rapidly and will be completed in the near future.
The spokesperson for the ministry, Noorul Haadi Adil, stated that China has pledged its cooperation with the Islamic Emirate in the implementation of developmental projects and the construction of the Wakhan road.
“The work on the historic route of the Wakhan to the Chinese border is ongoing in a preliminary form by the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, which is currently paused due to Eid. After Eid, the work on this road will resume once again,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) also said that the Wakhan road could play a fundamental role in finding new trade partners for Afghanistan.
The first deputy of the Chamber of Commerce and Investment, Mohammad Younus Momand, told TOLOnews: “Afghanistan is a landlocked country and needs to strengthen its relations with neighbors especially with those neighbors who are of significant economic importance, hence the Wakhan corridor is an important and strategic economic route for the strengthening of economic ties.”
Economic experts believe that China is a key country in creating job opportunities in Afghanistan through foundational and developmental projects.
Economist Sayed Masoud told TOLOnews: “If this is executed and managed seriously, it will have very good results, and moreover, it creates domestic and regional trusts and connects Afghanistan with the entire region.”
Previously, the spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate said that constructing the Wakhan Corridor with China, the start of the Trans-Afghan project, and the extraction of more mines were among the high priorities of the Islamic Emirate for the year 1403.
Officials Say Work on Wakhan Road Rapidly Progressing
The site of the former port in Muynak, Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan, is now an open-air museum — a ship graveyard of forlorn fishing vessels,
WASHINGTON —
Climate change and water scarcity are harsh realities facing Central Asia. Glaciers in the east, in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, are rapidly melting, while in the west, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, the Aral Sea has turned into a desert.
According to the World Bank, almost a third of the region’s 80 million people lack access to safe water, highlighting the urgent need to modernize outdated infrastructure. Afghanistan is building a canal that could exacerbate the crisis.
The Syr Darya and Amu Darya rivers provide water for Central Asian countries, but they are drying up.
Shrinking rivers, drying sea
Last summer and fall in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, people living along the Syr Darya and Amu Darya rivers described to VOA extreme weather conditions — droughts and floods posing existential dangers.
“It’s all about water, our constant worry,” said Ganikhan Salimov, a cotton farmer in Uzbekistan’s Ferghana region, bordering Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
“This water is not just for us, but a source of life for the entire region,” he said, pointing to a muddy canal near his crops.
A board in Muynak, a former port on the Aral Sea, Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan, Sept. 12, 2022, shows how the sea shrank from 2008 to 2016.
The Amu Darya stems from the confluence of the Vakhsh and Panj rivers. Separating Tajikistan and Afghanistan, it runs for 2,400 kilometers (almost 1,500 miles) northwest through Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan into the southern remnants of the Aral.
“We don’t fool ourselves with this magnificent view,” said a local resident who introduced himself only as Bayram, enjoying a hot day with his family on a bank of the Amu Darya in Uzbekistan’s Karakalpakstan Republic, adjacent to Turkmenistan.
“It continuously shrinks and becomes nothing by the time it winds its way to the Aral Sea, which is nowhere to be found,” he said.
A new water deal?
Aggravating the situation, Taliban-run Afghanistan is building a 285-kilometer (177-mile) canal off the Amu Darya, which could draw off 20% to 30% of the water that now goes to Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
Tashkent and Ashgabat have been in separate talks with the Taliban, who have argued that the purpose of the canal, called Qosh Tepa, is not to deprive their neighbors of a strategic resource but to provide more water for Afghans.
Central Asian experts express concern over the quality of the Qosh Tepa construction, which started in 2022. Officials in Tashkent say they have offered Kabul technical assistance.
Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev calls the Taliban “a new stakeholder” not bound by any prior obligations to their northern neighbors. Last September in Tajikistan, at a meeting on the Aral Sea, he proposed a dialogue of riparian countries.
“We believe it is necessary to set up a joint working group to study all aspects of the construction of the Qosh Tepa canal and its impact on the water regime of the Amu Darya involving our research institutes,” Mirziyoyev said.
Children enjoy a hot day in Kegeyli, Karakalpakstan, which depends on the Amu Darya River as a water source, July 22, 2023.
No progress has been made since then, but Eric Rudenshiold, a former U.S. official with decades of experience working with Central Asian governments, believes the best outcome would be a new water-sharing agreement.
“Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, all are facing water shortage issues, and so cooperation is really the only answer. And the question is, at what point these countries do that. Cooperation is much better than conflict,” he told VOA.
They would not even talk to each other on these issues until recently, Rudenshiold said.
“We’ve seen Central Asian states lean forward to engage with the Taliban, and I think that’s a big step,” he said.
While optimistic about the prospects for regional dialogue, Rudenshiold said he doubts Western governments will participate, given their strong opposition to the Taliban and its repressive policies.
“I think the region is going to have to resolve this issue itself, not relying on international organizations or other powers, but actually having the countries come together,” Rudenshiold said.
He sees enough leverage to negotiate: Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan provide power to Afghanistan. “The question is, how do you add water into that equation?”
“Yes, Afghanistan can take water for agriculture and drinking water. The problem is it’s still depleting, and Afghanistan needs to be part of the solution,” Rudenshiold said.
America’s offering
At a recent forum at the Wilson Center in Washington, U.S. officials and Central Asian diplomats highlighted growing water demand and worsening environmental conditions.
Tajikistan’s ambassador, Farrukh Hamralizoda, said that “more than 1,000 of the 30,000 glaciers” in his country have already melted.
“Every year, we suffer from floods, landslides, avalanches and other water-related natural disasters,” Hamralizoda said, adding that his mountainous country generates 98% of its electricity from hydropower.
This is what’s left of Syr Darya River in a good year, say residents of Khujand, Tajikistan, pointing to a river steadily shrinking, Sept 4, 2023.
Kyrgyzstan’s ambassador, Baktybek Amanbaev, said glaciers have also been vanishing in his similarly mountainous country, which he said hosts 30% of the clean water in the five former Soviet republics that make up Central Asia.
“We need effective water management to be able to estimate water reserves and flows,” Amanbaev said.
To that end, the U.S. Agency for International Development is funding MODSNOW, a digital program for hydrological forecasting that uses satellite imaging to monitor snow depth and melt and water flows from the mountains.
By providing governments and local stakeholders with accurate and timely data, the U.S. hopes to enable informed decision-making and sustainable management of resources.
“With accelerated snowmelt and heavy rainfall events also comes the greater risk of landslides and other severe natural disasters,” said Anjali Kaur, the agency’s deputy administrator, also speaking at the Wilson Center.
Melting glaciers, drying sea highlight Central Asia’s water woes
The World Bank, in its latest report on the status of women in the economy and business, has declared that women’s economic participation in Afghanistan ranks higher than in countries such as Iran, Yemen, and Palestine, placing at 178th position.
The 182-page report recently published by the World Bank assesses women’s economic participation in 190 countries.
The World Bank has not provided clarity on the methodology used in their survey or how they arrived at their conclusion. This is particularly concerning given that women in Afghanistan face numerous oppressive policies, with over 90 restrictions that deprive them of opportunities for employment, education, and free movement.
Titled “Women, Business and the Law 2024,” the World Bank report’s main focus is to evaluate women’s status in three areas: legal frameworks, policymaking, and implementation of laws and policies.
Key indicators such as mobility, workplace situation, wage and ownership rights, maternity rights, entrepreneurship, investment, childcare, security, marriage, and retirement rights are used to assess the status of women in this report.
In this ranking, Afghanistan has scored only 20 points out of 100 in the legal frameworks section and 13.3 points out of 100 in the policymaking section.
The country also ranks 187th, with a slight difference from Iranian women, in policymaking and legal frameworks.
According to the World Bank report, Iran with a score of 31.3 is in 188th position after Afghanistan, Yemen at 189th, and Palestine due to deadly conflicts and famine in the last position, which is 190th.
Meanwhile, Belgium, Canada, and Denmark top the World Bank report’s rankings.
Over the past two years, following the suspension of education and work for women in Afghanistan, there has been an increased interest among women in the private sector and business.
At the same time, female investors in Afghanistan have consistently advocated for greater support for female entrepreneurs in the country.
Sediqa Tufan, in charge of one of the handicraft shops, explained in an interview with Khaama Press that the reason for the increase in demand for jobs in handicraft workshops is the lack of employment opportunities and deprivation of education among girls.
According to Ms. Tufan, her market has seen good growth lately, and about 300 women are working indirectly with her in various country provinces.
Previously, the United Nations and several international organizations have emphasized supporting the private sector for women to ensure meaningful participation of women in all aspects of public life.
Women’s economic participation in Afghanistan ranks 178th in World Bank repor
Karen Decker, a US Chargé d’Affaires for Afghanistan, emphasized on the occasion of World Health Day that her country is the “largest” supporter of the World Health Organization in Afghanistan, especially for women and girls.
Ms. Decker announced on Sunday, April 7th, through a post on the assistance provided by the United States to support health in Afghanistan.
In Ms. Decker’s message, it is stated, “The United States is proud to be a major contributor to the international health organization in Afghanistan, providing the necessary resources to ensure the health of Afghans, especially women and children, to maintain their well-being.”
This comes as the World Health Organization celebrated World Health Day on Sunday, April 7th, with the slogan “My Health, My Right.”
The organization, in a message posted on its social media platform X, emphasized the need for strong healthcare systems for all, especially women and children in the country, stating that 18 million people in Afghanistan need humanitarian assistance in the health sector.
Jamshid Tanwoli, Acting Head of the World Health Organization’s office, also stated that the organization and its partners will continue to support Afghanistan’s health system to ensure that everyone, especially women and children, has fair access to health services.
According to the World Health Organization’s report, millions of people, including women and children worldwide, are increasingly at risk.
Previously, the World Health Organization and several international organizations have expressed concerns about the health crisis among mothers and children in Afghanistan.
US largest contributor to WHO in Afghanistan: Decker
They are requesting the interim government provide a suitable alternative crop.
Farmers in Helmand say that their economic problems have increased since the ban on poppy for opium cultivation.
According to these farmers, not only have recent years brought severe drought, but the ban on opium cultivation has also exacerbated their economic difficulties.
They are requesting the interim government provide a suitable alternative crop.
Helmand farmer Siddiqullah said: “Previously, we grew wheat, opium (poppy), and marijuana. Since the Islamic Emirate came, marijuana and opium have been banned, and now we only grow wheat and corn.”
Another farmer, Amir Mohammad, said: “Things are expensive; we can’t afford fertilizer or seeds. We are poor people; they should give us something in return that would be profitable.”
Farmer Saleh said: “Now, if we grow wheat and barley, they sell us a bag of chemical fertilizer for 18,000, which doesn’t profit us, we are truly at a loss.”
Agricultural experts also believe that if the interim government creates vineyards and pistachio and pomegranate orchards for farmers in Helmand as an alternative to opium, it would significantly resolve existing issues and promote the agriculture sector’s growth.
A professor from the agriculture faculty of Helmand University told TOLOnews: “As an alternative to opium, establishing vineyards can yield good results in the first step, as well as pomegranates, and in the northern districts, certain varieties of apples (pears) show good outcomes.”
Professor Qudratullah Hamidi said: “Generally, opium was grown in areas that were deserts; we can’t create orchards in desert areas now, so a good alternative would be fig, saffron, and cumin cultivation.”
The head of Helmand’s Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock said that they have started efforts to create date palm orchards as an alternative to opium cultivation and have established ten orchards so far.
He stated that efforts are being made to provide improved seeds and chemical fertilizers to farmers with the financial support of aid organizations.
Niaz Mohammad, the head of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock in Helmand, said: “Creating greenhouses is important; greenhouses were built last year, we constructed 6 greenhouses last year, and in the coming times, 20 more greenhouses will be constructed by the ministry in Helmand for the people, and distribution of improved seeds as a better alternative to opium cultivation has also begun.”
According to local officials, following the Islamic Emirate’s ban on opium cultivation, approximately 5,000 acres of land in the province have been cleared of opium.
Helmand Farmers Seek Govt’s Help to Grow Poppy Alternatives
Alkozai added that this decision is so far only a proposal and there has been no discussion about its implementation.
Following comments made by Najibullah Haqqani, the acting Minister of Telecommunications and Information Technology, in an exclusive interview with TOLOnews regarding the policy of restricting Facebook in Afghanistan, there have been widespread reactions.
The Committee to Protect Journalists has responded to this decision by calling for its cancellation, stating that it will impede the free flow of information.
“The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on the Taliban not to move ahead with their plans to restrict or block access to Facebook in Afghanistan, saying that would further impede the free flow of information in the country,” the SPJ said in a press release.
However, the spokesperson for the Minister of Telecommunications and Information Technology, Enayatullah Alkozai told TOLOnews that this decision is currently only a proposal and only content that is in conflict with the national interests and culture of Afghanistan will be restricted.
He believes that Facebook itself hinders access to information.
“In fact, Facebook restricts access to information, and the restrictions applied to the official government pages have resulted in neither the government being able to present its views to the people nor the people being able to send their messages to the government,” said Enayatullah Alkozai.
Alkozai added that this decision is so far only a proposal and there has been no discussion about its implementation.
Media Group Speaks Out Against Plans to Limit Facebook Access
“The process is ongoing, as soon as there is a public update I hope to be able to share it with you,” he said.
Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General, once again mentioned the ongoing efforts to appoint a special representative for Afghanistan.
Without providing details on the timeline, Stéphane Dujarric said that the process of selecting a special representative for Afghanistan is ongoing.
“The process is ongoing, as soon as there is a public update I hope to be able to share it with you,” he said.
The Islamic Emirate reiterated its previous stance, stating that there is now security and stability in Afghanistan, and there is no need for a special representative, especially as UNAMA is already present.
“Afghanistan has now achieved security and has emerged from a state of war and crisis, therefore, there is no need for the United Nations to appoint a special representative in the presence of UNAMA,” Hamdullah Fitrat, the deputy spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, told TOLOnews.
“There is no crisis in Afghanistan, so there is no need for a special representative. Past experiences have shown that whenever a special representative has been appointed in Afghanistan, they have worked to plot and create insecurity in Afghanistan,” Mohammad Bashar, a political analyst, told TOLOnews.
“If unity and cohesion of public opinion around the Afghan issue are consolidated, then it could persuade the Islamic Emirate that a special representative could be beneficial for Afghanistan,” said Sayed Moqadam Amin, a political analyst.
Previously, the Security Council with Resolution 2721 requested António Guterres, the United Nations Secretary-General, to appoint a special representative for Afghanistan to implement the recommendations of Feridun Sinirlioğlu based on his independent assessment regarding the reintegration of Afghanistan into the international community.
Dujarric: Efforts to Appoint Afghanistan Special UN Envoy Ongoing
The United Nations World Food Programme in Afghanistan has issued a warning about the increasing cases of malnutrition among mothers and children, emphasizing that the number of malnutrition admissions in Kabul has tripled over the past three years.
The UN agency stated on Friday, April 5th, that with the rise of malnutrition in Afghanistan, the situation is becoming “worse.”
The reduction of humanitarian aid in Afghanistan has been reported as one of the major factors contributing to the increase in malnutrition in the country.
Mishro, a nurse in the malnutrition ward, says that over the past two years, the mental and psychological condition of women has not been good, and the number of malnutrition cases in Afghanistan has been increasing.
She emphasizes that malnourished mothers have caused their children to also suffer from malnutrition, highlighting that there is not enough space for these patients.
Mishro adds: Overall, fifty per cent of the situation for malnourished women is not good.
Previously, the World Food Programme in Afghanistan had emphasized the increase in the number of women suffering from malnutrition in the country, stating that one million two hundred thousand women in Afghanistan are malnourished.
This comes as human rights organizations’ concerns about the increase in poverty and malnutrition, especially among women, in Afghanistan have escalated.
Concerns rise over women’s poverty and malnutrition in Afghanistan
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned the recent statements attributed to the Taliban leadership, expressing their decision to resume the stoning and physical punishment of Afghan women. The ministry has called on the Taliban to revoke their policy of oppression and marginalization of women in Afghanistan.
In a statement, the French Foreign Ministry stated that the Taliban’s “horrific” decision to stone women is part of a pattern of violations of women’s fundamental rights and freedoms by this group.
France has emphasized that the United Nations Security Council, in cooperation with the country, considers respect for the rights of Afghan women as a precondition for any dialogue with the Taliban.
The Taliban leader, in recent statements attributed to him, talks about the implementation of “Islamic punishments in Afghanistan.”
Hibatullah Akhundzada stated, “Tomorrow, we will stone women publicly and whip them. All of this goes against your democracy.”
The Taliban leader added that the Taliban’s work in gaining control of Kabul is not over, but rather just beginning.
These statements have been met with strong reactions from citizens and human rights activists.
During its nearly three years of governance, the Taliban has introduced and enforced extensive policies that restrict women in various aspects of life, work, education, and participation in society.
Critics of the Taliban and a wide array of human rights experts consider the Taliban’s policies towards women as a form of “gender apartheid.”
Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021, the group has imposed several decrees that severely restrict women’s rights and seek to erase their presence from public life.
These decrees include limitations on women’s education, employment, and participation in society, effectively marginalizing them and relegating them to the confines of their homes.
Additionally, the Taliban’s strict interpretation of Islamic law has resulted in the imposition of harsh punishments, including public stoning and lashings, for perceived violations of their edicts, further exacerbating the plight of Afghan women under their rule.
France condemns Taliban’s resumption of stoning and physical punishment of women in Afghanistan
Some of the migrants expelled from Iran said they would never leave the country if job opportunities were available in Afghanistan.
Local officials in Nimroz reported the forced return of about 120,000 Afghan migrants from Iran to the country in the last two months.
Abdullah Riyaz, the head of Migrants and Returnees in Nimroz, said: “In the past two months, 110,000 to 120,000 Afghans have returned from Iran, most of them forcibly. At the border, partner institutions and the Islamic Emirate assist some of them.”
Some of the migrants expelled from Iran said they would never leave the country if job opportunities were available in Afghanistan.
They complained about the mistreatment of Afghan migrants by Iranian security forces.
Aref Khan, who returned from Iran, said: “Iranian security forces everywhere take money from us and beat us. If companies in our country become active and job opportunities are provided for all of us, why should we go to Iran and endure all this oppression and abuse?”
Ramin, another deportee, said, “We went there for a bite of bread. If job opportunities in Afghanistan were suitable, we would never go. We went to Iran out of necessity, and whenever the security forces on the road catch any of us, they beat us.”
However, Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, said that special provisions have been made for migrant workers forcibly expelled from neighboring countries with large development projects in the country.
The spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate said: “The Islamic Emirate has always tried to reduce the level of unemployment, especially for those returning from Iran. We want migrants coming from outside of Afghanistan to be involved in projects such as mining extraction and other large projects in the country. The Islamic Emirate is aware of these issues.”
Despite the increase in the mass expulsion of Afghan migrants from Iran in recent months, it is said that due to poverty and unemployment, hundreds of citizens still enter Iranian territory illegally every day.
Nimroz Officials: About 120,000 Migrants Expelled From Iran