ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan said Thursday that thousands of Afghan migrants who have applied for resettlement in third countries could face forced expulsion if they are not relocated by host nations before the end of April.
Deputy Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry did not mention specific host countries, but his announcement follows the suspension of U.S. refugee admissions programs that has left over 25,000 Afghan nationals facing uncertainty. Some of the Afghans also are trying to resettle in other Western countries, including the U.K.
Chaudhry said an April 30 deadline for resettlement of applicants has been communicated to potential host countries. He also said that any foreigners in the country illegally would be deported immediately, and that those who have obtained U.N. refugee status would be allowed to stay at least through June.
Many Afghans fled their country after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, fearing reprisals. Some had worked with the U.S. military, international organizations, aid agencies, media outlets or human rights groups.
Thousands already have been relocated to the United States, with those who worked for the U.S. military given a priority by the U.S. government. Thousands more have been living in Pakistan while seeking relocation to the United States or other Western countries.
Chaudhry said thousands of Afghans have been sent back over the past week as part of expulsions that began in October 2023, when Pakistan launched a crackdown on foreigners living illegally in Pakistan. Since then, more than 850,000 Afghans had been repatriated.
He said an estimated 800,000 additional Afghan migrants are in the country illegally, and that 1.4 million are in Pakistan with U.N. refugee status.
Spokesman Shafqat Ali Khan at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told a news conference that the expulsions were not targeted specifically at Afghans and that any foreigners in the country illegally were being deported.
He also said Pakistan was engaged with U.N. agencies for the protection of people in vulnerable situations. “There is hardly any example of a country which has been more generous to refugees than Pakistan,” he said.
Pakistan warns it may expel thousands of Afghans hoping for resettlement in the West
Khalid Hanafi, a key figure in the Taliban regime, controversially stated that ‘non-Muslims are worse than animals’ in recent remarks.
Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, the Acting Minister of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice under the Taliban regime, made controversial remarks comparing non-Muslims, including Christians, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, and other religious minorities, to “animals.”
These remarks, made during a recent meeting aimed at coordinating and training government employees, were widely shared on social media after being broadcast by the state-controlled National Radio and Television on April 10. Hanafi stated that non-Muslims were “worse than animals” and that employees under his ministry should be trained with “Islamic thoughts.”
Hanafi, a key figure in the Taliban regime since its return to power in August 2021, has previously drawn criticism for enforcing strict limitations on women and implementing controversial policies. His recent comments about non-Muslims have sparked further outrage, especially as religious minorities, including Hindus and Sikhs, have faced increasing challenges in Afghanistan in recent years.
Hanafi, originally from Nuristan province, has a long history of involvement in jihadist and religious activities. He is currently responsible for enforcing Sharia laws and overseeing citizens’ behavior. His statements come at a time when religious minorities in Afghanistan, particularly Hindus and Sikhs, continue to endure severe hardships, raising concerns about their safety and rights under the current regime.
These remarks have been met with widespread condemnation from various international human rights groups and religious organizations, which continue to call for the protection of religious freedoms in Afghanistan. The international community has urged the Taliban government to uphold the rights of religious minorities and ensure their safety and dignity in line with global human rights standards.
The Taliban’s policies have placed severe restrictions on women’s education and employment, significantly affecting their rights and opportunities. Women have been barred from attending secondary school and universities, with reports indicating that many young girls are being denied access to education, which has led to widespread frustration both within Afghanistan and abroad.
Additionally, women in Afghanistan have faced limits on their employment opportunities, particularly in government and non-governmental sectors. Many have been forced to stay at home, depriving them of the ability to contribute to the economy and society.
These restrictions are part of the broader pattern of gender-based limitations that have drawn widespread international condemnation, with human rights organizations urging the Taliban to reverse these policies and allow women to regain their fundamental rights.
Khalid Hanafi: Non-Muslims are ‘Worse Than Animals’
The World Food Program (WFP) has expressed concern over declining global aid, particularly from the United States, and warned that the primary burden of this crisis falls on Afghanistan’s women and children.
In a post on its official social media platform X, the WFP shared a video on Thursday, April 10, highlighting that due to funding shortages, approximately 650,000 mothers and children in Afghanistan have been denied access to critical nutritional aid.
This warning comes at a time when the United States has suspended its food aid to Afghanistan, citing concerns that the Taliban could exploit the assistance.
Reuters previously reported that the U.S. government plans to reduce foreign aid, including emergency food assistance, to Afghanistan and other countries.
In response to this decision, Cindy McCain, the head of the WFP, warned that cutting emergency food aid could be a “death sentence” for millions who are facing severe hunger.
Meanwhile, despite several promises, the Taliban has failed to take effective measures over the past three years to address the growing hunger crisis. In a recent Eid festival in Kandahar, Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada dismissed reports of poverty and hunger as “intelligence propaganda,” claiming that God created the poor and that no one is responsible for the poverty of citizens.
This situation underscores the urgent need for international cooperation to address the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. With ongoing cuts in aid, millions of vulnerable individuals, especially women and children, are at severe risk of malnutrition and starvation.
Poverty in Afghanistan has reached alarming levels, with over half of the population struggling to meet basic needs. According to the United Nations, nearly 19 million people in the country are food insecure, and millions are at risk of extreme poverty due to the ongoing economic crisis. The situation has been exacerbated by the lack of access to basic services and the impact of years of conflict.
The World Bank has also warned that Afghanistan’s economy is in severe decline, with per capita income falling dramatically. The country’s unemployment rate has soared, and inflation continues to erode the purchasing power of families. As the UN reports, over 90% of Afghans live below the poverty line, with women and children bearing the brunt of the crisis.
WFP: Reduced aid puts heavy burden on Women and Children in Afghanistan
The ministry stated that this meeting also addressed the challenges Afghan migrants face in Pakistan and Iran.
The acting minister of refugees and repatriations, Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, discussed the holding of a trilateral meeting between Kabul, Tehran, and Islamabad with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees for Afghanistan (UNHCR).
The ministry stated that this meeting also addressed the challenges Afghan migrants face in Pakistan and Iran.
Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, in separate meetings with Ahmed Suliman, acting head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Afghanistan, and Mihyung Park, IOM Afghanistan Chief of Mission, stressed that a permanent solution to Afghan migration issues requires time and broad international support.
Officials from both the Red Cross and the International Organization for Migration reiterated their support for Afghan migrants.
Abdulmutalib Haqqani, spokesperson for the Ministry of Refugees, said: “The Minister, referring to the mistreatment of Afghan migrants in neighboring countries, stated that a lasting solution to their challenges requires UN support.”
Thousands of Afghan families who fled to Pakistan due to insecurity, poverty, or political restrictions are now facing the risk of arrest and forced deportation.
Some Afghan migrants in Pakistan shared their experiences:
“The Pakistani government is not willing to give even one more day of extension to undocumented Afghans,” said Atiqullah Mansoor.
“The situation for migrants in Pakistan is worsening day by day, and many problems have arisen for them,” said Shabana Mansoor.
Meanwhile, the deputy minister for finance and administration of the Ministry of Refugees visited the temporary migrant camp in Torkham township. Simultaneously, the head of border police evaluated the hypothetical Durand Line and assessed the operations at the Torkham commissary.
Abedullah Farooqi, the media officer of the border police, said: “The border police chief emphasized providing facilities for Afghan migrants in all aspects during this trip.”
A day earlier, Abdul Latif Mansoor, the acting minister of energy and water called the forced deportation of Afghan migrants from Pakistan an injustice.
In a debate with TOLOnews, Mansoor criticized Pakistan’s approach, stating that Afghans have lived and invested in Pakistan for years and should not be expelled in such a manner.
Kabir: Resolving Migration Crisis Requires Time, Global Support
The governor of Parwan said that there exist no types of discrimination among the officials of the Islamic Emirate.
Mohammad Siddiq Mokhles, the intelligence chief of Parwan province, in a public gathering accused political opponents of the Islamic Emirate who reside in neighboring countries of receiving aid from foreign states.
In this gathering, Mokhles stated that these groups also misuse some youth within the country against the Islamic Emirate.
The gathering aimed at addressing the challenges of residents in Sayd Khel district of Parwan province.
“You must be aware of history and the political situation. The people who have gone from the country to Iran and Tajikistan, sometimes go to Pakistan and at times even seek help from Israel,” The intelligence chief said.
The governor of Parwan said that there exist no types of discrimination in Afghanistan and among the officials of the Islamic Emirate.
Mohammad Idris Anwari said “There is no ethnic, linguistic, or regional discrimination among your officials. Rather, your officials consider such biases and preferential attitudes as a major deviation.”
Meanwhile, some residents of Sayd Khel district—located near Charikar, the center of Parwan—say that with the destruction of their agricultural lands due to flooding from the Panjshir, Salang, and Ghorband rivers, as well as the lack of electricity and damaged roads, they are facing serious problems.
They called on officials to address these issues.
Nasir Ahmad Mohabbat, a resident of Sayd Khel district, said: “A survey has been done but it is not enough, because from Gulbahar to the end of Sayad, these people are under the threat of flooding from two rivers.”
Mir Rafiullah Munib, another resident of Sayd Khel district, said: “Projects that remain incomplete—whether in education, roads, or electricity—I hope the governor will make more efforts to complete these projects.”
Local officials in Parwan have also added that many public meetings have been organized across various areas of the province to discuss and resolve residents’ challenges.
Parwan Intelligence Chief: Opponents Seek Help from Foreign States
Military cargo plane from Doha was reportedly carrying CIA deputy chief
A US military cargo plane that flew into Afghanistan last week has sparked speculation that America could retake control of the strategic Bagram air base.
According to local media reports, the C-17 aircraft took off from Doha’s Al Udeid military base, arrived in Afghanistan via Pakistan on Sunday, and landed at Bagram.
The aircraft was said to be carrying senior US intelligence officials, including CIA deputy chief Michael Ellis, and military equipment, Khaama Press reported.
The outlet claimed the Taliban had handed over the base, which president Donald Trump expressed interest in reclaiming during his presidential election campaign, to the US.
The claim was swiftly denied by the Taliban’s chief spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid, who described it as “propaganda”. He said the Taliban had complete control of the air base.
An American takeover of the base was “impossible”, Mr Mujahid said, and “there is no need for any country’s military presence in Afghanistan at present and the Islamic Emirate will not allow such an action”.
Zia Ahmad Takal, a deputy spokesperson at Afghanistan’s foreign ministry, issued a denial as well. “This news is not correct,” he told The Independent.
The Pentagon is yet to comment on the reports, but a US defence source told The Independent that “there is no US military presence in Afghanistan”.
The Bagram air base, north of the capital Kabul, served as the command node for American and allied Nato forces for two decades as they waged a war against the Taliban and Al Qaeda.
The base, the size of a small city, was captured by the Taliban soon after Western troops vacated it, shutting off power and slipping away as they withdrew from the country, in the summer of 2021.
Bagram has two runways and over 100 parking spots for fighter jets known as revetments because of the blast walls which protect each aircraft. One of the runways, built in 2006, measures 12,000ft long.
It also boasts a passenger lounge, a 50-bed hospital and hangar-sized tents filled with supplies like furniture.
Mr Trump has repeatedly talked about taking back control of the Bagram base. He claimed last month that Washington planned to return to the base because it now allegedly hosted Chinese troops.
“I am the one who got our military presence to under 5,000 but we were going to keep Bagram, not because of Afghanistan but because of China, because the air base is exactly one hour from where China makes its nuclear missiles,” Mr Trump said. “So, we were going to keep Bagram.”
Bagram was one of the largest air bases in the world, complete with “one of the biggest and most powerful runways”, the US president added. “And we gave it up. And you know who is occupying it at the moment? China. Because Biden gave it up. So, we are going to keep that.”
At the time, Mr Mujahid dismissed Mr Trump’s comments as “emotional” and said US officials should “refrain” from making “statements based on unsubstantiated information”.
Mysterious US military flight to Afghanistan sparks speculation about Bagram air base
Huddled on Afghanistan’s chaotic border with Pakistan, his young son shivering in the cold, Ibrahim Danish stared at the unmoving metal gates – willing them to open, even just for a moment.
“We spent the night there in the middle of the street with little Daniel and it was [the most] difficult night of my life,” he says.
“Without food, water and blankets we stood until morning in the middle of thousands of people … but they did not allow anyone in and we come back again to Kabul.”
Since the fall of Kabul and the descent of Afghanistan back into Taliban rule, there have been many dark days. The passage of nearly half a decade has dimmed neither the fear nor the threat.
Mohammed Ibrahim Danish, now in hiding with his wife, Amina, and two children, Daniel and Helene, is a target of the Taliban because he worked on behalf of the Australian government.
‘An honour’: Mohammed Ibrahim Danish describes his work for Australia – audio
Between 2011 and 2015 in republican Afghanistan, he was employed by the international NGO Save the Children on a program known as Children of Uruzgan. It was funded by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The program built and ran schools for children in one of Afghanistan’s poorest provinces, aiming to establish 50 kindergartens across a part of the country where six in 10 children never set foot inside a classroom. It taught girls to read and vaccinated children who never visited a hospital. The program trained dozens of doctors in neonatal care in the country with the highest infant mortality rate in the world.
In the middle of it all was Ibrahim, quietly travelling from village to village, translating for Australian aid workers as they spoke with village elders, delivering vaccines to doctors, distributing cash to rural women.
Ibrahim was proud of his work and the difference it was making in the forgotten corners of Afghanistan: “Working on those projects was an honour for me to serve my country and also help the Australian government …
‘If you want us to die, we need to know’: hundreds of thousands of Afghans are waiting for visas to Australia – and time is running out
Read more
“But later my connection with the Australian government and work experience with Save the Children became a danger for me and my family’s life. Because the Taliban think we are infidels and need to be killed because we worked and helped foreigners.”
That Ibrahim’s work on behalf of Australia has made him a target has been recognised by the Australian government. He has been granted locally engaged employee (Lee) certification – a formal recognition for those who worked with and for Australia “and are at risk of harm as a result of their work”.
International hopes for a reformed Taliban, that their desire for international legitimacy would restrain the most grotesque of their tendencies – their silencing of women, their brutality towards minorities – were short-lived. The Taliban were unrepentant, unreformed
Those who had served the former administration and the western infidels who had backed it, or those who were members of ethnic minorities like the Hazara, were cowed back into the shadows.
Ibrahim – both – was forced to flee.
Outside his work Ibrahim had used his burgeoning multimedia skills to film short videos of life in the mountainous villages of his home province, posting them online as a celebration of Hazara music, art and culture. But the footage shows music and poetry performances, women playing sport and with their faces uncovered: further antagonising the fundamentalist Taliban.
In the long years since, he and his family have led a precarious, peripatetic existence, skipping from his home province to remote mountain villages to the capital, Kabul, and back and forth over the country’s dangerous borderlands.
“Taliban visited my house … and asked my neighbours, ‘Where are your infidel neighbours? We have to find them, we must arrest them because they are infidels.’ And my neighbours told [them] that I ran away and they don’t know where I escaped to.”
Ibrahim hoped Kabul’s size might offer protection. But even there were Taliban who knew his history. “We had to change our location every day and week so they could not find us,” he says.
Patrols prowled the streets, stopped people and demanded documents. Gunmen followed others to their homes. Dozens crowded into tiny, dark apartments, too frightened to go out.
“Everywhere was Taliban … I will never forget those difficult days we spent hungry and thirsty with a lot of fear there because Taliban were searching for us and we were not able to even go to a shop to purchase food.”
‘With food, water and blankets we stand until morning in the middle of thousands of people’ – audio
Ibrahim and his family set out on foot for Torkham, the mountainous border crossing into Pakistan. But after their cold and difficult night at the closed frontier they were forced to turn back.
In Kabul, each day brought news of more arrests of those who’d worked for international agencies or served foreign governments. Sometimes they were seized from street corners. More commonly people – sometimes whole families – simply disappeared.
The net grew tighter. Ibrahim feared not only for his family’s safety but also for anyone who’d sheltered them, assisted them, even fed them.
“Again, I tried to go to Pakistan and this time I spent two days and one night on the border due to rush of the people. We slept the night on the streets under the rain and cold weather.
“Daniel, my son, was three years old at that time. He was very sick and had a very high fever. I was not sure that he could get better and I was afraid for him. I was very worried because … four or five children died in front of my eyes on the border.”
This time they made it across. Pakistan was a sanctuary of sorts. The Taliban’s reach was weaker, though not extinguished. But among thousands of Afghan immigrants, Ibrahim and his family were at the mercy of unscrupulous landlords who exploited their lack of connections and temporary documents. When their visas expired, they were expelled back into Afghanistan.
Since then, the unhappy dance has continued. Sometimes every few days, Ibrahim and his family will pick up and leave, careful not to compromise anybody with information about where they might be headed.
Occasionally, too rarely, they get a few weeks of quiet, of relative stability. But always with the knowledge it could end without warning – with a flash of recognition on a street corner, a suspicion insufficiently appeased.
Guardian Australia is not revealing where – not even which country – the family are now sheltering.
‘Delays, double handling’
Trying to get to Australia is a two-step process. The first, obtaining Lee certification, is a reflection, the government says, of “Australia’s view of its moral obligation to current and former employees who have provided valuable support to Australia’s efforts in Afghanistan”.
Alone, it counts for little – it’s not much more than another compromising document should it fall into Taliban hands.
The second step is applying for and securing a visa to Australia. (A Lee program review found the two-step process “causes delays, double handling and confusion, and imposes an administrative burden on applicants”. It heard numerous Lee candidates had been “left behind” in danger in Afghanistan.)
Ibrahim’s Lee certification means the family’s application for humanitarian visas will be prioritised – a recognition that it is their connection to Australia that has brought them into danger.
But there are barriers still. Ibrahim’s application for a humanitarian visa has sat with the Department of Home Affairs since 2022.
‘If the Taliban find us they will kill us’ – audio
Stranded in Afghanistan, Ibrahim has found himself caught in a bizarre catch-22. The Australian government told him it could not progress his visa application from within Afghanistan but, at the same time, advised him not to leave the country.
A letter from Dfat told him: “due to the closure of panel doctors in Afghanistan, we are currently unable to invite applicants to undertake medicals if located in Afghanistan.
“The department is unable to assist clients to travel outside of Afghanistan, and do not advise travel due to safety concerns.”
‘Serious mess’
Ibrahim has a web of support that stretches around the world. He has letters of recommendation from former colleagues as far afield as Singapore and the US.
From Australia, he has offers of housing and community support, even employment.
Government figures provided to Guardian Australia show that to the end of January 2,427 Afghans have been Lee certified: 674 by Dfat, 1,741 by the defence department and 12 by Australian federal police.
Barely a third of them have reached Australia – 817 have travelled to Australia on class XB visas (with 2,368 immediate family members), while 82 have been granted visas (with 321 family members) and 116 applications for humanitarian visas are before the Department of Home Affairs.
“The former Liberal government failed to adequately plan for the evacuation of Afghan LEE and former ministers, including Peter Dutton, oversaw a program plagued by inconsistent and irregular decision making and poor communication with applicants,” said a spokesperson for the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong.
Since Wong took office in 2022, more than 500 applicants have been certified under Dfat’s program –including Ibrahim Danish – more than all previous foreign ministers combined.
“The Albanese government is focused on cleaning up the serious mess left by the Morrison government and we remain committed to doing what we can to assist those who helped Australia’s mission in Afghanistan.”
Ibrahim is planning the next move with his family. The plan is uncertain, contingent on what is possible, on the squeeze-and-release of the Taliban’s capricious rule.
He is keeping his children warm through a bitter winter with the hope that spring may bring better news.
“I would like to come to Australia,” he says quietly, “because I and my family will be safe from being arrested and killed by the Taliban.”
Fleeing Taliban fighters, Ibrahim begs the country he helped – Australia – to save his family
CAIRO (AP) — The Trump administration has reversed sweeping cuts in emergency food aid to several nations but maintained them in Afghanistan and Yemen, two of the world’s poorest and most war-ravaged countries, officials said Wednesday.
The United States had initially cut funding for projects in more than a dozen countries, part of a dramatic reduction of foreign aid led by billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. Aid officials warned the cuts would deny food to millions of people and end health programs for women and children.
The administration informed the World Food Program of its reversal on Tuesday, according to two U.N. officials. Two officials with the U.S. Agency for International Development confirmed that Jeremy Lewin, the Musk associate overseeing the dismantling of USAID, ordered the reversal of some of his weekend contract terminations after The Associated Press reported them. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media.
The WFP said Monday it had been notified that USAID was cutting funding to the U.N. agency’s emergency food program in 14 countries.
Funding has been restored for programs in Somalia, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Ecuador, according to the USAID officials and one of the U.N. officials. The status of funding for six other unidentified countries was not immediately clear.
Cuts could still be disastrous
The USAID officials said Lewin sent a note internally expressing regret at what he described as a miscommunication. One of the U.N. officials said the decision to restore funding came after intense behind-the-scenes lobbying of members of Congress by senior U.N. officials.
U.S. officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce acknowledged on Tuesday that some of the programs had been cut by mistake and said funding had been restored, without providing details.
“I don’t know how much they know about the system they are dismantling. I don’t know how much they care,” said Nathaniel Raymond, executive director of the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health.
“The damage they’ve already done is a potential extinction-level event for two generations of transformational improvements in how we prevent people from dying from a lack of food,” Raymond added.
The cuts could prove disastrous for millions in Afghanistan and Yemen, reeling from decades of war and U.S.-led campaigns against militants.
The U.S. had been the largest funder of the WFP, providing $4.5 billion of the $9.8 billion in donations to the world’s largest food aid provider last year. Previous administrations had viewed such aid as a way of alleviating conflict and combating poverty and extremism while curbing migration.
The Trump administration has accused USAID of advancing liberal causes, and has criticized foreign aid more broadly as a waste of resources.
Afghanistan is scarred by decades of war
More than half of Afghanistan’s population — some 23 million people — need humanitarian assistance. It’s a crisis caused by decades of conflict — including the 20-year U.S. war with the Taliban — as well as entrenched poverty and climate shocks.
Last year, the United States provided 43% of all international humanitarian funding to Afghanistan.
Some $560 million in humanitarian aid has been cut, including for emergency food assistance, treatment of malnourished babies, medical care, safe drinking water and mental health treatment for survivors of sexual and physical violence, according to an assessment by current and former USAID officials and partner organizations. The figure has not been confirmed by the U.S. government.
A separate WFP assessment obtained by the AP showed that food assistance to 2 million people in Afghanistan would be terminated later this year. More than 650,000 malnourished children, mothers and pregnant women would would lose nutritional support.
The United Nations Population Fund said the U.S. had cut $100 million in support for maternal health services for millions of women, as well as gender-based violence services.
The International Rescue Committee said the cuts would affect nearly 1 million people. Its programs include nutritional assistance for tens of thousands of children under 5, as well as counseling services.
“Kids who have seen great violence, who benefit from social work and psychosocial care that we provide, will be cut off,” said Bob Kitchen, head of global emergencies for the aid group.
Some in Yemen have been at risk of famine
The poorest Arab country was plunged into civil war in 2014 when Iranian-backed Houthi rebels seized much of the north, including the capital, Sanaa. The U.S. supported a Saudi-led coalition that intervened the following year on behalf of the government. The conflict has been at a stalemate in recent years.
The war has led to widespread hunger, and experts warned as recently as 2024 that parts of Yemen were at risk of famine.
The U.S. cuts would end life-saving food assistance to 2.4 million people and halt nutritional care for 100,000 children, according to the WFP assessment.
The WFP had already suspended its programs in Houthi-ruled northern Yemen, where the rebels have detained dozens of U.N. staffers as well as people associated with aid groups, civil society and the now-shuttered U.S. Embassy.
The latest cuts would affect southern Yemen, where the internationally recognized government opposed to the Houthis is based. The WFP assessment warned that halting aid there “carries significant political and security implications and risks deepening the economic crisis and exacerbating instability.”
Last year, the WFP assisted 8.6 million people in Yemen, more than a quarter of its population, including more than 330,000 internally displaced people and 1.2 million with disabilities. Half were women and children.
Kitchen with the IRC said water, sanitation and health support for nearly 2 million people would end, and that while his group and others are seeking alternative sources of funding, there is no real substitute.
“I am fearful that we are going to turn around in months to come and just see the numbers of people who are perishing because there’s just not enough funding to keep them alive anymore,” he said.
Butt reported from Islamabad and Knickmeyer from Washington. Associated Press writers Matthew Lee in Washington, Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Sarah El Deeb in Beirut contributed to this report.
US restores urgent food aid but not in Afghanistan and Yemen, where millions need it
Bagram Airbase has reportedly been handed over to the U.S., amidst conflicting claims. Trump blames Biden for allowing China’s influence, while the Taliban denies the transfer.
The Bagram Airbase, a strategic military site in Afghanistan, has become the center of conflicting reports regarding its control. The U.S. President Donald Trump recently stated that the airbase, which was handed over to the United States, is now effectively under Chinese control due to President Biden’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
Trump, in a speech at the Republican National Committee on Tuesday, April 8, criticized Biden’s handling of the U.S. military exit from Afghanistan. He argued that Biden’s actions left the airbase vulnerable, allowing China to occupy it. Trump further remarked that had he been president, he would have ensured the U.S. maintained control over Bagram, not just because of Afghanistan’s strategic importance, but due to its proximity to China’s nuclear facilities. According to Trump, the failure to keep Bagram resulted in what he called “the worst disaster in American history,” and the loss of the airbase now gives China a significant advantage in the region.
Meanwhile, reports suggest that Bagram Airbase was handed over to the United States by the Taliban, with U.S. military aircraft, including C-17 planes, landing at the site and bringing military vehicles, equipment, and senior intelligence officials. The arrival of the Deputy Chief of the CIA was also reported, emphasizing the importance of Bagram for U.S. intelligence operations in the region.
However, the Taliban has categorically denied these claims. Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Taliban, dismissed the reports of a U.S. military presence at Bagram as “propaganda.” In a recent statement, Mujahid reiterated the Taliban’s stance that Afghanistan’s sovereignty will not be compromised and that the country would not allow any foreign military presence, including that of the U.S. He emphasized that there was no need for such foreign intervention, rejecting the rumors circulating on social media and in various media outlets.
According to Mujahid, such reports are misleading and serve only to confuse the public. He reaffirmed the Taliban’s position on the matter, claiming that the handover of Bagram to the U.S. is “impossible.”
In a broader context, the strategic significance of Bagram has been widely acknowledged. The base, once a hub for U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, offers vital access to the region and is located within close proximity to China’s key military sites. This makes the airbase a critical asset in terms of intelligence gathering and military strategy, raising questions about its future use.
Despite these contradictory reports, the fact remains that Bagram’s control and future direction have major geopolitical implications. The U.S., China, and the Taliban are all stakeholders with significant interests in the base, each framing the situation in a way that aligns with their strategic goals.
The tensions surrounding Bagram also highlight the ongoing struggles over control and influence in Afghanistan, particularly in the aftermath of the U.S. withdrawal. While the Taliban maintains that Bagram is under their control, reports of ongoing U.S. military activities in the area continue to raise doubts about the true nature of the situation.
As these developments unfold, the future of Bagram Airbase will likely play a pivotal role in shaping Afghanistan’s sovereignty, regional security, and broader global power dynamics. Serving as a symbol of U.S. presence in the region, Bagram’s control is now at the center of intense geopolitical debate. With the situation remaining fluid, it is uncertain whether the base will be fully utilized by the U.S., China, or the Taliban, each of whom have strategic interests in its future. The outcome will significantly impact not only Afghanistan but also the broader security architecture of the region.
IS Bagram Airbase now under US or Chinese Control?
Over 11,000 Afghan migrants have been expelled from Pakistan in the latest phase, while PoR cardholders are protected until June 30.
Pakistani media reports have revealed that, since the beginning of the second phase of forced Afghan migrant expulsions, 11,371 Afghan migrants were deported from the country between April 1 to April 9. This includes both voluntary and involuntary returns.
According to official reports from Pakistan’s immigration department, published by the Express Tribune newspaper, 2,242 migrants voluntarily approached the deportation camps in the Landi Kotal area. The majority of these deportations occurred through the Torkham border crossing into Afghanistan.
Additionally, the Express Tribune report highlights that 1,427 Afghan migrants were arrested in various cities across Pakistan and transferred to the Torkham border for deportation during the same period.
At the Torkham Camp, officials report that the Taliban administration has made necessary arrangements for the returning migrants. A 12-member special committee is providing 24/7 services to the returnees, offering assistance in areas like food, healthcare, transportation, telecommunications, and documentation services.
Meanwhile, court rulings in Peshawar have prohibited law enforcement agencies from taking legal action against Afghan migrants holding PoR cards (Proof of Registration). According to this order, PoR cardholders are allowed to stay in Pakistan until June 30 this year without the threat of arrest or deportation.
The ongoing expulsion of Afghan migrants has raised several questions about the treatment of refugees in the region. While the voluntary return process provides a pathway for those wishing to leave, many are concerned about the safety and security of the returnees as they cross into Afghanistan.
As the situation develops, international organizations and human rights groups have called for more humane treatment of Afghan migrants, urging Pakistan to ensure that deportations are conducted within international legal frameworks and that returnees are given adequate support for their reintegration.
Over 11,000 Afghan Refugees expelled from Pakistan; PoR cardholders protected until June 30
Afghanistan Peace Campaign
