UN Organizations Concerned By  Lack of Funds for Earthquake Victims

October 24, 2023
TOLOnews
TV Network
24 Oct 2023

The spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced the aid of 50,000 dollars from China for the earthquake victims of Herat.

Organizations of the United Nations, including the World Food Program, the International Organization for Migration, and the United Nations Children’s Fund, have announced that the victims of the Herat earthquake need immediate humanitarian aid.

These organizations have said that they are facing a lack of funds.

“We are quickly running out of funds, and the affected communities need more than the emergency assistance to rebuild their lives,” the WFP said.

“People affected by the Herat earthquakes need immediate help. We’re on the ground to provide support, together with our partners,” said IOM.

“The lack of necessary coordination and joint cooperation between domestic organizations and foreign organizations in the field of aid has caused a series of declines in the level of need for aid, but it appears from the situation that the level of need for aid will increase with the arrival of the winter season,” said Shaker Yaqui, an economist.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Afghanistan wrote in a report that “more than 21,500 homes have been completely destroyed (8,429) – mostly in Herat, Injil and Zindajan districts – and severely damaged (17,088) in the earthquakes.”

The Ministry of Economy considers the assistance of the United Nations organizations to be a serious need for the victims of the Herat earthquake.

“Aid from the international community and the United Nations can help in the reconstruction of earthquake-affected areas and in the development and employment projects for many people,” said Habib Rahman Habibi, spokesman for the Ministry of Economy.

Meanwhile, an institution in Qatar has launched a campaign to collect food and medical equipment for the survivors of the Herat earthquake.

“Qatar Charity began distributing food baskets to those affected by the earthquake that struck Afghanistan recently, and this came in conjunction with the launch of its “Help Afghanistan” campaign to show solidarity with the Afghan people and help those affected by the earthquake.”

The spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced the aid of 50,000 dollars from China for the earthquake victims of Herat.

In the earthquakes nearly two weeks ago in Herat, dozens of villages in the Zindajan, Injil, and Kashk Rabat Sangi districts of the province were completely destroyed. In these earthquakes, hundreds of houses were seriously damaged in other parts of Herat.

UN Organizations Concerned By  Lack of Funds for Earthquake Victims
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NRC Country Director Calls for World’s Engagement With Kabul

October 24, 2023
Fatema Adeeb
Tolo News
23 Oct 2023

Neil Turner has too criticized the forced repatriation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan and added that return should be voluntary.

The Norwegian Refugee Council’s country director for Afghanistan has called for the world to diplomatically engage with Afghanistan.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with TOLOnews, Neil Turner said that the ties are important for delivering humanitarian aid to needy Afghans for the reconstruction of the country.

“The Norwegian Refugee Council is a humanitarian, impartial and independent organization. I don’t think that we have an opinion on recognition, what we are calling for is diplomatic engagement, so we need to make sure that there is some future with the support of the wider international community for Afghanistan and that ought to be possible. We need to have diplomatic representation within Afghanistan, there are many embassies that are here, but we need more,” said Neil Turner, NRC’s country director for Afghanistan.

The country director said that current limitations on Afghan women and girls will harm the future of the country he urged a change in the policies.

“We are obviously calling for those [limitations on women] to be lifted, one is the education system where women and girls are not allowed to proceed to secondary school or university. That is very damaging for the future of Afghanistan because where are the nurses and the doctors other professionals going to come from if you are excluding half the population from higher education? So obviously there needs to be a change in that policy,” said Neil Turner, NRC’s country director for Afghanistan.

Norwegian Refugee Council’s country director for Afghanistan  stressed the need for better planning for Afghanistan and a regional mechanism for resolving the problems of Afghan refugees settled in the neighboring countries.

Neil Turner has too criticized the forced repatriation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan and added that return should be voluntary.

“We have to make sure we have job facilities for people who want to stay in their former settlements … and also those who want to return maybe to the place of origin which they may not been to for many years but they are also able to return … return should be voluntary and based on the international law so that people are not forced to return if they don’t want to,” said Neil Turner, NRC’s country director for Afghanistan.

NRC Country Director Calls for World’s Engagement With Kabul
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Islamic Emirate Denies Claims of UNAMA’s Report on Human Rights

October 24, 2023
Fatema Adeeb
Tolo News
24 Oct 2023

UNAMA has expressed its deep concern over the situation of human rights in Afghanistan in its recent report of the last three months.

The Islamic Emirate denied claims made by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Afghanistan’s recent report about the situation of human rights in Afghanistan and called out the report for lacking the ground facts.

Speaking to TOLOnews, the spokesperson of the Afghan caretaker government, Zabiullah Mujahid, said that UNAMA has never assessed the ground facts in Afghanistan, and he addex that the UN Afghanistan mission has been concentrated on inferior and less-important issues in the country.

“UNAMA has always published propaganda, UNAMA has always misused its position other than recognizing its duty and resolving problems in Afghanistan. The reports they published are not in line with the facts on the ground in Afghanistan,” said Zabiullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Islamic Emirate.

UNAMA has expressed its deep concern over the situation of human rights in Afghanistan in its recent report of the last three months, July to September 2023.

In the report, UNAMA voiced its concern about the following issues.

“Limitations against women and girls, treatment of former government’s officials and former members of security forces, treatment of detainees, corporal punishment and death penalty, limitations on Ashura celebration, indiscriminate detention and imprisonment of human rights defenders and media workers…” read part of the UNAMA report.

“I am not speaking on behalf of UNAMA, as an Afghan, I have the right to say that the Islamic Emirate should be recognized as soon as possible and such reports will harm the process of recognition,” said Zakiullah Muhammadi, a university lecturer.

“UNAMA’s recent report on human rights situation in Afghanistan is quite important and I ask the officials [government officials] not to deny it and seek resolving problems instead,” said Tariq Farhadi, a political analyst.

In on of its previous reports, UNAMA also claimed to have recorded “800 cases of extrajudicial killings and torture, ill-treatment, indiscriminate detention and disappearances,”  claims which have been denied by the Islamic Emirate.

Islamic Emirate Denies Claims of UNAMA’s Report on Human Rights
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Afghan Women Call for Access to Schools, Universities

October 24, 2023
TOLOnews
TV Network
23 Oct 2023

But the Deputy Foreign Minister on X published two images emphasizing the need to continue educating women in the country. 

A number of female students have reiterated the need to allow their access to schools.

They say that even though schools have been closed for more than two years, they still do not know of any future plans to reopen them.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate on X said education in the country is important.

More than two years have passed since girls were banned from education in the country, but there is no sign of reopening of schools to girls above sixth grade in the country.

Sixteen-year-old Mursal says life has faded over the past two years and her dreams have been ruined.

“I’ve lost my spirit because I have no hope for the future, and the color of my life has actually changed when they closed schools. My worries grow every day as to whether or not schools will open,” said Mursal, a student.

Meanwhile, some other students are calling on the Islamic Emirate not to take away women’s opportunity to train and work in the country.

“I want the islamic government to provide work and education opportunities for all girls so the girls are educated and not discouraged,” said Maryam, a student.

“I want the Islamic Emirate to open the doors of schools and universities in the framework of sharia,” said Marhaba, a student.

But the Deputy Foreign Minister on X published two images emphasizing the need to continue educating women in the country.

“Education is something that no one can take away from you. A good education can change anyone, and a good teacher can change everything,” said Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.

“When this restriction is imposed on girls, and schools and universities are closed, girls’ depression, despair and demotivation continue to rise, and it causes further harm,” said Firoza Amini, women rights activist.

The Deputy Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate has spoken of the education of women in the country as it has been more than 760 days since the closure of schools to girls above sixth grade in the country, which has caused internal and external reactions, but the Islamic Emirate has always said that the issue of banning the education of women in the country is not permanent.

Afghan Women Call for Access to Schools, Universities
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Freed French-Afghan journalist credits media support for his life

October 23, 2023
Online News Editor
La Prensa Latina
October 23, 2023

 

Paris, Oct 23 (EFE).- French-Afghan journalist Mortaza Behboudi, released after spending 284 days imprisoned by the Taliban regime, said on Monday that the pressure built by the media saved his life.

“Without the media, I would not be alive,” Behboudi said at a press conference at the headquarters of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which actively worked for his release.

Behboudi was arrested on Jan.7 while trying to report on female students taking exams at Kabul university. He was released on Oct.18 and repatriated to France.

Flanked by his wife, Aleksandra Mostovaja, and RSF Secretary-General Christophe Deloire, Behboudi said the Taliban regime accused him of a French spy and bringing aid to the Afghan resistance against the Islamists.

Although he had all his documents in order, including an Afghan press card, he spent a month in a police station, the journalist said.

He was then taken to Kabul central prison, where another 1,200 political detainees were held.

He was completely isolated from the outside world in an overcrowded cell. “I didn’t think I was going to come out alive,” he said.

Behboudi, who held back tears on several occasions during the press conference, avoided going into details about his experiences to avoid harming other detainees.

He did, however, mention that he was repeatedly interrogated and tortured and witnessed the torture of other prisoners.

After more than six months, a Taliban delegation went to see after he repeatedly pleaded innocence.

Subsequently, he was transferred to another prison for common criminals, where he had access to a lawyer and a telephone.

After five court hearings, he was finally found innocent, although he had to sign a document agreeing to submit his future articles to the Taliban for approval before publication.

Following his release, he arrived in Paris on Friday morning and was transferred to a military hospital for a medical check-up.

“The mobilization for Mortaza Behboudi’s release has been extraordinary,” the RSF general-secretary said

He said the editorial staff of 15 media outlets worked for his release, also creating a support committee.

Deloire pointed out that, although it is sometimes believed that such mobilizations are ineffective, in this case, “it has sent an extraordinarily important message to the Taliban.” EFE

Freed French-Afghan journalist credits media support for his life
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Dam in Logar At Risk of Collapse, Residents Say

October 23, 2023
TOLOnews
TV Network
23 Oct 2023

According to them, parts of the land affecting the dam have been taken by land-grabbers in recent years. 

A number of residents of Kharwar district in Logar said that part of the water dam of the district is at risk of collapse due to the increase in the sediments of the recend floods in the reservoir of the dam. 

According to them, parts of the land affecting the dam have been taken by land-grabbers in recent years.

“The Kharwar Dam needs complete reconstruction, which means that this dam faces the threat of destruction. If you see the gates of this dam, the stones and the cover of the dam, which were built in the past, are being destroyed and need to be rebuilt,” said Muhibullah Wesal, a resident.

“The technical equipment that existed in the past revolutions has been looted and disabled,” said Nasratullah Akef, another resident.

“People near this dam have started their agricultural work, if it goes further into ruin, it will be a major loss for the people,” said Mohammad Layeq Sahel, a resident.

Some residents of the district want serious attention from the Islamic Emirate to the reconstruction of the dam.

“We call on the Islamic Emirate to help us rebuild this dam. This can damage Logar and Charkh district and is very important for Kharwar,” Hazratullah Abed told Tolonews.

“They should pay serious attention to this dam, which is useful for both Kharwar and will not be damaged in the case of floods,” said Abedullah, a resident.

However, local officials in Logar have announced that 100 million afghanis have been allocated to start reconstruction work on the dam.

“More than 100 million Afghanis have been allocated for the Kharwar Dam and its work is underway. This has been volunteered by companies, but it’s not final. Based on the information we have received, hopefully it will begin work next year,” said Rafiullah Samim, head of information and culture in Logar province.

The dam was reportedly built in Kharwar district of Logar during the reign of Mohammad Zahir Shah in Afghanistan.

Dam in Logar At Risk of Collapse, Residents Say
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Pressure Mounts on Afghan Refugees in Pakistan as Deadline Nears

October 23, 2023
TOLOnews
TV Network
23 Oct 2023

Earlier, the Pakistani media reported 1,700 illegal Afghan refugees have recently been deported from Pakistan.

As the November 1 deadline determined by the Pakistani interim government for the Afghan refugees to leave approaches, pressure is mounting on the Afghan nationals who are recognized as “illegal” migrants by Islamabad.

The Afghan refugees told TOLOnews that they are being detained under various pretexts by the Pakistani police and forced to leave the country.

“They detain the Afghans who are without visas and legal documents and deport them to Afghanistan,’ said Faizullah Turk, an Afghan refugee.

“If the refugees don’t leave Afghanistan soon, they will come under police pressure which will eventually force them to leave the country,” said Mir Ahmad Rauf, head of an Afghan refugees council.

Earlier, the Pakistani media reported 1,700 illegal Afghan refugees have recently been deported from Pakistan.

The Consulate of the Islamic Emirate in Karachi, Pakistan, Abdul Jabar Takhari, said that more than 1,000 Afghan refugees are in the prisons of Pakistan.

“Within this period of one month, 120,000 Afghan refugees left Pakistan and returned to the country,” he said.

Meanwhile, political analysts said that the harassment of Afghan refugees can affect the relations between Kabul and Islamabad.

Pakistan’s decision to expel Afghan refugees faced a strong reaction of the international organizations including the UN.

Pressure Mounts on Afghan Refugees in Pakistan as Deadline Nears
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Over 40,000 Cases Tried in Past 3 Months: Supreme Court

October 23, 2023
Naweed Samadi
Tolo News
23 Oct 2023

Meanwhile, some citizens who have referred to the Supreme Court have some requests from the Islamic Emirate.

The Supreme Court of the Islamic Emirate reports that in the past three months it has dealt with more than 40,000 different cases across the country.

“In all the courts of the country, 44,496 different cases have been resolved in these three months, and these numbers show that the authorities have done enough work,” said Abdul Rahim Rashid, spokesman for the Supreme Court.

Abdul Rahim Rashid said that the department has also distributed more than 44,000 different documents to citizens throughout the country during this period.

“In the last three months, Saratan, Asad, and Sanbula months, 44,560 different documents have been executed, of which 11,731 of them were marriage certificates.

Meanwhile, some citizens who have referred to the Supreme Court have some requests from the Islamic Emirate.

“What we want from Afghanistan’s courts, whether it is primary or appellate courts, whether there is a legal case or anything else, we want justice in it,” said Mahrmullah, an applicant.

“I had a file from the previous government and the file had many problems. Since this government came, things have become very easy,” said Sayedullah, an applicant.

The Supreme Court continues to acknowledge the complaints regarding the slowness of providing services to citizens and pledged that these challenges will be addressed in a better way.

Over 40,000 Cases Tried in Past 3 Months: Supreme Court
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UNAMA Releases New Report on Human Rights Situation in Afghanistan

October 23, 2023
Mujeeb Rahman Awrang Stanikzai
Head of TOLOnews’ Online Department

23 Oct 2023

The report covered the period from July to September 2023.

The UN Assistant Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) released a new report that documented the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, which also shows an increase in restrictions on the rights of women.

The report addressed the ban on women’s beauty salons, saying that salons that have continued to operate beyond the deadline, in contravention of the edict, have been the target of harsh responses by the de facto authorities.

The report covered the period from July to September 2023.

It also shows that around 25 beauty salon owners and their employees gathered in Kabul to hold a peaceful protest against the ban on July 19, and “four female protestors were arrested and released later the same day.”

UNAMA also reported on the restrictions on women’s freedom of movement, saying that on 26 August, in Bamyan province, “the de facto Minister of the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice announced that women are banned from visiting Band-e-Amir National Park due to noncompliance with the hijab order.”

The report further said that women and girls continue to be excluded from secondary and tertiary education and the “de facto authorities” took various steps throughout July, August and September to ensure that existing bans were fully implemented.

UNAMA also referred to the ban on travel for female students to the UAE. “On 23 August at Kabul International Airport, de facto Police prevented a group of female students from traveling to Dubai to pursue higher education, having been accepted to a program funded by a UAE businessman, because they were not all accompanied by mahrams,” it said. But it also said that some of the women were subsequently able to travel to Dubai.

According to UNAMA, in contrast with the same period in 2022, it documented far fewer civilian casualties, largely due to a significant reduction in improvised explosive device attacks.

On 14 August in Khost city, UNAMA said, “next to Speen mosque, an explosion occurred at Mula Hotel.”

“Five people were killed (one civilian and four Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) members) and at least 18 wounded (12 civilians, six TTP members),” the report said, adding that some sources stated that the attack was carried out by a drone and that the targets were TTP fighters, who often frequented the hotel, “however, there has been no claim of responsibility to date.”

It also highlighted the “extra judicial killings” of some former Afghan military personnel as well as treatment of detainees by the Islamic Emirate’s forces.

The report found that in places of detention managed by the de facto Office of Prison Administration, instances of ill-treatment were rare.

“The report found that in places of detention managed by the de facto Office of Prison Administration, instances of ill-treatment were rare and overall respect for procedural safeguards was higher,” it reads.

UNAMA Releases New Report on Human Rights Situation in Afghanistan
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Afghan Quake Survivors Face Staggering Health Consequences

October 22, 2023
FILE - A 12-year-old injured during a recent earthquake receives treatment at a hospital in Herat, Afghanistan, on Oct. 11, 2023. The World Health Organization said on Oct. 20 that the survivors of the series of quakes desperately need essential health services.
FILE – A 12-year-old injured during a recent earthquake receives treatment at a hospital in Herat, Afghanistan, on Oct. 11, 2023. The World Health Organization said on Oct. 20 that the survivors of the series of quakes desperately need essential health services.
 

GENEVA — The World Health Organization warns that tens of thousands of survivors of a series of powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquakes that struck western Afghanistan’s Herat province between October 7 and 15 are in desperate need of humanitarian aid and essential health services.

“I have personally seen how these multiple earthquakes flattened villages, displaced thousands of people and left many families in urgent need of humanitarian and health assistance,” said Alaa AbouZeid, health emergencies team lead for WHO Afghanistan.

Speaking in Kabul on Friday, AbouZeid said, “Over 114,000 people are in urgent need of lifesaving health assistance. … The health consequences are staggering.”

Those most seriously affected by the disaster, he said, are women, girls, boys and the elderly, “who account for over 90% of the deaths and injuries. Many children are left orphaned.”

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, reports that the earthquakes directly affected more than 66,000 people — about 1,500 killed, some 2,000 injured, at least 3,700 homes destroyed and another 21,300 buildings damaged.

“I have talked to people affected by earthquakes, and the sense of loss is heartbreaking,” said Luo Dapeng, WHO representative in Afghanistan. “Many people spent days digging under the rubble to search for members who either died or got injured.”

According to an initial assessment by the WHO, at least 40 health facilities across nine districts were damaged, resulting in severe disruptions of health services for an estimated 580,000 people.

AbouZeid said health providers were afraid to go into those buildings, which showed visible cracks and risked collapse. “So, most health services for now are provided from tents,” he said, calling the situation untenable.

“We need immediate action to restore, renovate and ensure services that provide health facilities, especially in wintertime. The survivors need water [and] better shelters that can protect them from the harsh winter,” he said.

“Last year, Herat experienced minus 30 degrees centigrade during wintertime, and winter has already started in Afghanistan,” he said. “So, there are needs for water and sanitation to stop any possible disease outbreaks.”

He said that WHO staff in Afghanistan was on the ground within hours of the disaster and able to treat the injured, provide medicine and medical supplies, and give mental health and trauma care.

“Thanks to the long and established presence in Herat, we were able to rapidly mobilize resources … and extend immediate lifesaving support to the affected population at the most critical time of the emergency.”

He said the WHO has deployed 21 female health workers, including doctors and midwives, to Herat to ensure that women have unimpeded access to the health services they need.

“They have been distributed over different facilities to provide services for their female patients, with a special focus on reproductive health services, obstetrics, gynecology services and child health services,” AbouZeid said.

The WHO launched an appeal for $7.9 million Wednesday to provide urgent and essential health services for 114,000 of the most vulnerable people in the next six months.

AbouZeid said the WHO needs to scale up emergency health needs urgently and swiftly “as the upcoming winter season is bringing new health risks and exposure to the affected population currently living outdoors or in tents.”

Afghan Quake Survivors Face Staggering Health Consequences
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