A number of experts at the event also discussed Afghanistan’s water crisis, drought and displacement.
The UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Climate Action and Just Transition has emphasized that despite Afghanistan’s negligible contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions, the country remains on the frontline of the global climate crisis.
Speaking at an event on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly titled “Afghanistan on the Frontlines of Climate Stress and Migration,” Selwin Hart said the past 11 years have been the warmest on record and that the world is approaching the 1.5-degree Celsius threshold set under the Paris Agreement.
Selwin Hart said: “The reality is that climate conditions are becoming more dangerous, and Afghanistan is on the frontline of the climate crisis. The past 11 years have been the warmest years on record. El Niño is also adding more heat to a planet that is already warm and overheated. This increases the risk of droughts, floods and extreme heat.”
A number of experts at the event also discussed Afghanistan’s water crisis, drought and displacement.
According to experts, snow accounts for up to 80 percent of Afghanistan’s water resources, but rising temperatures have reduced snowfall, pushing the country toward what they described as “water bankruptcy.”
Najibullah Sadid, an expert on water resources, the environment and climate change, said: “As I said, snow provides up to 80 percent of our water resources. This topographical advantage has now been lost or is gradually being lost because climate change is increasing temperatures. This means either Afghanistan receives less snow, or when it does snow, it melts very quickly. As a result, practically no water remains for the summer agricultural season.”
Concerns over the impact of climate change on Afghanistan come as the country is already facing challenges including water shortages and an increase in deadly natural disasters.
The organization said in a report that restrictions on women and girls have deepened Afghanistan’s international isolation, while reductions in humanitarian aid.
The International Crisis Group claims that five years after the Islamic Emirate returned to power, although the level of violence in Afghanistan has declined, the country continues to face serious political, economic and security challenges.
The organization said in a report that restrictions on women and girls have deepened Afghanistan’s international isolation, while reductions in humanitarian aid, sanctions, economic difficulties, drought and natural disasters have further complicated the country’s economic situation.
The International Crisis Group report states: “There are very few signs that their grip on power is under threat; however, if they fail to change their approach and address some of the country’s fundamental problems, Afghans will face an increasingly uncertain and unstable future.”
Political analyst Gul Mohammad Din Mohammadi said: “If sanctions on Afghanistan continue, the country is not recognized, and Afghanistan’s assets are not returned, then the United Nations is indirectly creating problems.”
In another part of its report, the International Crisis Group warned that the continuation of the current situation would make Afghanistan’s future uncertain. It therefore said that the Islamic Emirate needs to adopt a more pragmatic approach to addressing domestic challenges and managing relations with other countries.
Political analyst Hemayatullah Ahmadi said: “The Afghan government should show flexibility in its engagement with the world, while the international community and countries in the region and beyond should also increase their engagement. The demands of the international community and the Afghan people should be accepted.”
Meanwhile, the professional deputy minister of economy said that despite some challenges, Afghanistan’s economic situation is improving, inflation has declined, and the country’s economic engagement with a number of countries has increased.
Abdul Latif Nazari, professional deputy minister of economy, said: “Although Afghanistan has faced climate change, drought and sanctions imposed by some countries in recent years, despite these challenges, Afghanistan’s economic situation is improving.”
The Islamic Emirate has previously also called several times for the resolution of political challenges and for improved relations with various countries around the world.
International Crisis Group: Afghanistan Still Faces Major Challenges
For the sixth consecutive year, Afghanistan has not delivered a national address at the United Nations General Assembly.
From the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in 2021 through the 81st session this year, no one has represented Afghanistan during the speeches delivered by national leaders. The main reason for the absence has been cited as the unresolved dispute over Afghanistan’s credentials and representation.
Omar Mukhtar Nikzad, a university lecturer, said: “The main victims of this situation are the people of Afghanistan. It would be better for the international community and the Islamic Emirate to hold discussions on their respective preconditions and pave the way for Afghanistan’s reintegration into the international community. Afghanistan was among the first countries to sign the founding document of the United Nations. They should not remain indifferent to Afghanistan’s situation now.”
Following the collapse of the republic in August 2021, Afghanistan’s permanent seat at the United Nations has remained in the hands of diplomats from the former government, led by Naseer Ahmad Faiq. The UN Credentials Committee has deferred the Islamic Emirate’s request to take over the seat each year.
The formation of an inclusive government, the fight against terrorism and narcotics, and respect for human rights are among the international community’s key conditions for recognizing the legitimacy of the current government. In return, the Islamic Emirate has called for the removal of sanctions and blacklists, the release of Afghanistan’s frozen assets, and the transfer of the country’s permanent UN seat to the current government.
The two sides have so far failed to reach an agreement on these conditions.
Naqibullah Noori, a university lecturer, said: “The solution is for both the current government and the international community to show flexibility and hold talks about their respective preconditions.”
In addition, since 2024, Afghanistan has been deprived of its voting rights in the General Assembly due to unpaid membership contributions under Article 19 of the UN Charter.
According to available information, Afghanistan last paid its UN membership dues in mid-2021. Since then, its outstanding debt has been estimated at around $1.1 million. The Islamic Emirate says payment of the dues is conditional on transferring Afghanistan’s permanent UN representation to the current government.
Afghanistan signed the Charter of the United Nations on June 26, 1945, and was among the early countries to join the organization in 1946, one year after the United Nations was established.
National addresses at the UN General Assembly are usually delivered by countries’ presidents, prime ministers or foreign ministers. The last address on behalf of Afghanistan was delivered in 2020 by former President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani.
Afghanistan Absent from UN General Assembly Speeches for Sixth Year
He said the area is now under the control of security forces, the fighting has ended, and clearance operations are continuing.
The Nuristan police chief told TOLOnews that more than 300 armed individuals had entered Afghanistan from Chitral through Kamdesh district after crossing the hypothetical Durand Line.
Mawlawi Akhtar Mohammad Muzammil said the individuals had entered the country with the support of Pakistani forces and with the aim of destabilizing parts of Nuristan.
Mawlawi Akhtar Mohammad Muzammil, Nuristan police chief, said: “The clashes with them began about 100 to 500 meters from the barbed-wire fence. A number of them were killed, while others fled.”
According to Muzammil, 40 armed opponents were killed and more than 60 others were detained in the clashes.
He said the area is now under the control of security forces, the fighting has ended, and clearance operations are continuing.
Muzammil said: “They encountered resistance from the mujahideen, who had already set up ambushes for them. According to the latest information, around 40 of the armed individuals were killed.”
The Nuristan police chief added that a number of Pakistani forces had also entered Afghanistan alongside the armed individuals, but returned to the other side of the hypothetical Durand Line following clashes with Islamic Emirate forces.
Sarwar Niazi, a military affairs analyst, said: “The Pakistani government and military are trying to organize forces opposed to the Taliban and send them to Afghanistan for war and insecurity. I think war is no longer a solution. It would be better for these individuals not to be deceived by Pakistan and instead pursue dialogue and understanding.”
The clashes in Kamdesh ended after four days, but security forces’ clearance operations are continuing in parts of the district. Local officials say security measures in areas near the hypothetical Durand Line will be increased if necessary.
Nuristan Police Chief: 40 Armed Opponents Killed in Kamdesh Clashes
Russia has criticized Western countries over their policies toward Afghans who left the country following the withdrawal of foreign forces in August 2021, accusing them of tightening asylum rules while increasing deportations.
Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for Russia’s Foreign Ministry, made the remarks in response to questions about the policies of the United States, Britain and Germany toward Afghan nationals.
Zakharova said Western countries had tightened rules on issuing documents and granting asylum after facing difficulties in accommodating Afghans, while simultaneously stepping up deportations.
She said the policy particularly affected former officials and military personnel of the previous Afghan government, who could face forced returns to Afghanistan.
Zakharova also referred to reports that some European Union countries had allowed diplomats of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) to issue documents for Afghan nationals subject to readmission.
She said the process of removing Afghan refugees who were once considered partners by Western countries had accelerated.
Zakharova also raised concerns about the planned closure of Qatar’s Al-Sailiya camp, where more than 1,000 Afghans who worked with US forces are reportedly housed at a former US military base.
She said the United States had been unwilling to accept some of its former Afghan partners and was instead negotiating their resettlement in African countries.
Zakharova accused Western governments of adopting an inconsistent approach by criticizing IEA officials over alleged human rights violations while at the same time deporting Afghan nationals to Afghanistan.
Her comments come amid continuing debate in Western countries over the status of Afghan asylum seekers, former government officials and people who worked with foreign forces following the 2021 withdrawal.
Russia accuses West of double standards over deportation of Afghans
Italian diplomat Nicola Bellomo has begun his tenure as the new Chargé d’Affaires of the European Union Delegation to Afghanistan, succeeding Slovenian diplomat Veronika Bošković Pohar.
Bellomo said Monday on X that he had started the new assignment with “great pride,” saying he would represent the interests and values of the European Union in Afghanistan. His appointment was first announced by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas in June, when Bellomo was nominated for the position.
Before taking up the Afghanistan post, Bellomo served as head of the Pan-African Affairs Division at the European External Action Service (EEAS). He previously served as the EU ambassador to Rwanda and held other diplomatic positions within the EU’s foreign policy service.
The EU Delegation in Afghanistan works on political engagement, humanitarian assistance, development cooperation and coordination with international partners. The delegation says its presence in Kabul is intended to facilitate assistance to the Afghan people, coordinate operations and support EU engagement on Afghanistan.
Bellomo has already appeared in recent EU activities in Afghanistan. In September, he described EU support for a €5 million initiative with the Food and Agriculture Organization aimed at strengthening agricultural resilience, supporting agribusinesses and creating livelihood opportunities for vulnerable Afghan communities.
The change in EU leadership comes as the bloc maintains diplomatic engagement with Afghanistan while continuing to work through its delegation in Kabul. The EU’s engagement includes humanitarian and development assistance, while its dealings with the de facto authorities remain separate from formal recognition of the Taliban as Afghanistan’s government.
Italian Diplomat Nicola Bellomo Begins Work as EU’s New Chargé d’Affaires in Afghanistan
Afghan returnees from Pakistan were nearly three times more likely than those returning from Iran to receive multipurpose cash assistance, according to a new report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The IOM’s Afghanistan Returnee Resilience Report, published on September 28, examined the situation of returnees several months after their arrival in Afghanistan. The report found that 69 percent of returnees from Pakistan received multipurpose cash assistance, compared with 24 percent of those returning from Iran.
The report said returnees received various forms of assistance at border points, including cash, healthcare, food and SIM cards. Of the 1.93 million Afghans who returned from Iran and Pakistan between July and December 2025, 38 percent received cash assistance, according to the assessment.
The IOM report did not specify the amount of cash distributed during the period under review. Under an earlier IOM integrated assistance programme for returnees in 2024, however, families received a multipurpose cash grant of $140, alongside an average transportation allowance of $20 per person.
Food, shelter and livelihoods remain major concerns
Despite assistance at the border, returnees continue to face significant challenges after settling in Afghanistan. The IOM found that food was the most frequently reported immediate and longer-term need, with 69 percent of returnees reporting difficulties meeting their food needs.
Shelter was another major concern. About 67 percent of returnees needed assistance to secure safe housing, while 77 percent were living in temporary shelters and 51 percent said they lacked sufficient space for their families.
Livelihood opportunities were also limited. The report identified employment and income-generation as a major need for 56 percent of returnees. Only 5 percent had productive assets that could generate income, while 54 percent said their income during the 30 days before the interview was insufficient to meet basic needs.
The assessment was based on interviews with 1,547 returnees, including 888 who had returned from Pakistan and 659 from Iran. IOM assessed their circumstances roughly nine to 15 months after their return.
Despite economic difficulties and limited access to services, 75 percent of respondents said they did not intend to leave their current location during the following six months. Six percent said they planned to leave Afghanistan, while 5 percent intended to move elsewhere inside the country. Thirteen percent were uncertain about their plans.
The figures differed between families and individual returnees. About 76 percent of families said they did not plan to relocate, compared with 69 percent of individual returnees. Sixteen percent of individual returnees said they intended to leave Afghanistan again, compared with 4 percent of those returning with families.
Nearly 6.5 million Afghans returned from Iran and Pakistan since 2023
IOM says 6,473,978 Afghans returned from Iran and Pakistan between September 15, 2023, and August 31, 2026. During the second half of 2025 alone, 1,931,418 people returned, including 1,138,374 from Iran and 793,044 from Pakistan.
Among those returning during the period covered by the report, 48 percent were women and 52 percent were men, while children under 18 accounted for 58 percent of the total.
The scale of the return movement has placed additional pressure on Afghanistan’s already fragile humanitarian and economic systems. The UN’s 2026 Response Plan for Afghan Returnees estimated that nearly 2.7 million Afghans could return between April and December 2026 and called for $529.2 million to support emergency assistance and longer-term reintegration in high-priority areas.
IOM has said its response includes border screening and registration, food, temporary accommodation, health and psychosocial support, protection services and transportation assistance, with more than 324,000 returnees from Iran and Pakistan reached during the first half of 2026.
IOM: Returnees From Pakistan Receive Three Times More Aid Than Those From Iran
Pakistan’s Express Tribune has reported that relations between Islamabad and the Taliban have reached a stage where a diplomatic reset is becoming increasingly difficult.
A senior Pakistani official involved in Afghanistan policy told the newspaper that relations between the two neighbours were likely to become even more strained.
“We have, I think, reached a point of no return,” the official said.
The report, written by journalist Kamran Yousaf, said that despite recent efforts by Türkiye and Qatar to reduce tensions between Islamabad and Kabul, Pakistani officials believe the relationship could deteriorate further.
“We know the Taliban so well. They are not going to mend their ways,” the unnamed Pakistani official told the Express Tribune.
The official added that the Taliban’s measures to address Pakistan’s security concerns “are not enough and are cosmetic in nature.”
According to the report, the head of Türkiye’s intelligence service travelled to Kabul and Islamabad as part of regional efforts to ease tensions. However, the diplomatic initiative collapsed before it could gain traction.
The newspaper reported that a day after Turkish and Qatari officials held meetings in Kabul, a deadly attack targeted the police lines in Kohat, with one of the suicide attackers identified as an Afghan national.
Pakistani officials cited the attack as evidence of the continued presence of terrorist groups on Afghan territory, and Pakistan subsequently carried out strikes inside Afghanistan.
The Express Tribune reported that the Taliban responded by sending rudimentary drones towards Pakistan, which Pakistani officials said were neutralised before causing casualties or significant damage.
Pakistan then launched further strikes against drone storage facilities and launch sites at around 10 locations in Afghanistan, including one target in Kandahar.
The report also said the Turkish delegation had expected to meet Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhundzada in Kandahar, but that he instead deputed a member of his staff to meet the delegation. The move was not well received by the Turkish side.
The report further noted that some Pakistani officials believe the growing rift could change perceptions among anti-Taliban groups. For years, some of these groups had viewed Pakistan as still somehow aligned with the Taliban. As tensions deepen, that perception may shift.
“If the Taliban regime’s writ is challenged further, it won’t be a surprise,” the official said.
Ties With Taliban At ‘Point Of No Return’, Says Pakistani Official
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghanistan said on Sunday that its forces killed 28 fighters and captured 32 others, including alleged members of the Islamic State group said to have crossed from neighboring Pakistan.
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have increased in recent days, with cross-border fighting and Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan territory adding to longstanding disputes over militant activity along their border.
Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry said in a post on X that the fighters were killed or captured on Saturday in Kamdesh district in the northeastern province of Nuristan. It alleged that several IS-affiliated groups had been sent from Pakistan with the support of Pakistani authorities “with the aim of carrying out acts of subversion and creating insecurity.”
Afghanistan does not recognize its frontier with Pakistan as an international border. The countries share a 2,611-kilometer (1,622-mile) boundary known as the Durand Line.
kistan rejects Afghanistan’s accusations
Pakistan’s Ministry of Information rejected the allegations as “frivolous, baseless and devoid of any truth.” In a post on X, it said Pakistan “categorically rejects” claims that its security forces or intelligence agencies were involved in clashes in Nuristan or elsewhere in Afghanistan. It also denied recruiting or training former Afghan security personnel or facilitating IS or other militants.
The ministry said Afghanistan had provided no evidence to support its allegations, including identities, documents, communications or forensic material. It dismissed a video circulating on social media as showing only a few unarmed people and described it as part of a “pre-planned video shoot” by Afghanistan’s Taliban government.
Pakistan said the presence and activities of militant groups in Afghanistan had been documented in reports by the United Nations and other international organizations. It accused Kabul of trying to “manufacture a Pakistani connection” to obscure what it described as the continued presence of militants in Afghanistan.
Islamabad says its forces killed scores of militants
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s military said Sunday that its forces had killed more than 71 militants during multiple operations in southwestern Balochistan province over the previous 96 hours. The military said the operations targeted hideouts of groups it refers to as Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna al-Hindustan, terms used by Islamabad for Afghanistan-based Pakistani Taliban and members of the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army, or BLA.
Pakistan frequently accuses Afghanistan’s Taliban government of allowing the Pakistani Taliban, formally known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, to operate from Afghan territory and carry out attacks inside Pakistan. The TTP is separate from Afghanistan’s Taliban but is allied with it. Kabul denies providing the group a safe haven and has rejected Pakistan’s accusations.
The latest hostilities followed Pakistani airstrikes Monday on sites in eastern Afghanistan that Pakistan described as militant hideouts. Pakistan said the strikes killed 28 militants, while Afghan authorities said three civilians were killed, a toll confirmed by the United Nations.
“According to available information, Pakistani intelligence agencies had brought them to Pakistan under the promise that arrangements would be made for them to obtain asylum in foreign countries and receive high salaries,” the ministry said.
It alleged that the men were instead taken to camps established by Pakistan’s military and intelligence agencies, given brief military training and sent back into Afghanistan to create insecurity in parts of Nuristan, which borders Pakistan’s northern Chitral district.
The ministry called on “all young people and former military personnel who have been deceived by Pakistani intelligence agencies” not to become further victims of what it described as enemy conspiracies.
Ahmed reported from Islamabad.
Afghanistan says 28 fighters killed, 32 captured after crossing from Pakistan
He said many of these returns are taking place under difficult humanitarian conditions and, in some cases, are not entirely voluntary.
As the number of Afghans returning from countries in the region increases, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says return to Afghanistan should not mark the end of the process, but rather the beginning of efforts to ensure a safe and dignified life for returnees.
Barham Salih, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, told the UN Security Council that the number of Afghans returning to the country is expected to reach nearly eight million by the end of this year.
He said many of these returns are taking place under difficult humanitarian conditions and, in some cases, are not entirely voluntary.
Barham Salih, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said: “By the end of this year, we expect nearly eight million Afghans to be returned to their areas, admittedly many in adverse circumstances, not entirely voluntary. Many returned amid a severe humanitarian situation and significant restrictions, especially on the rights of women and girls, to communities already struggling with poverty, limited services, and few economic opportunities.”
Pakistan, which has hosted millions of Afghans for more than four decades, also called at the meeting for greater international attention to the burden borne by refugee-hosting countries.
Nabeel Munir, Pakistan’s Deputy Foreign Minister, said: “We have hosted millions of Afghans for over four decades, extending support and hospitality despite significant economic and security challenges. Our experience demonstrates both the importance of international solidarity and the limits of expecting host countries to shoulder protracted refugee situations.”
Meanwhile, Panama’s foreign minister and Colombia’s representative stressed at the meeting that return should mean more than simply crossing a border; conditions should allow people to remain in their homes after returning without being forced to flee again.
They cited Afghanistan, along with Ukraine, Syria, Sudan and Myanmar, as examples of protracted displacement crises.
Javier Martínez-Acha Vásquez, Panama’s foreign minister, said: “Returning home means being able to stay there and continue one’s life. We see this situation in Ukraine, Syria, Sudan and Afghanistan.”
Colombia’s representative said: “Some of these processes have led to positive results. This is particularly true in Syria, where millions have returned. And in the case of Afghanistan, this shows us that people ultimately want to return home.”
Afghanistan has faced a large wave of returning citizens from countries in the region over the past three years. The Islamic Emirate’s spokesman previously said during a program in Kabul that nearly two million Afghan migrants had returned from Pakistan, Iran and Türkiye over the past year.
Barham Salih: Afghan Returns to Reach 8 Million by Year-End
The United Nations says aid workers are still in a “race against time” to remove rubble and rebuild after the devastating earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan last month, killing at least 2,200 people and cutting off remote areas.
The 6.0-magnitude quake on Aug. 31 was shallow, destroying or causing extensive damage to low-rise buildings in the mountainous region. It hit late at night, and homes — mostly made of mud, wood, or rocks — collapsed instantly, becoming death traps.
Satellite data shows that about 40,500 truckloads of debris still needs to be cleared from affected areas in several provinces, the United Nations Development Program said Wednesday. Entire communities have been upended and families are sleeping in the open, it added.
The quake’s epicenter was in remote and rugged Kunar province, challenging rescue and relief efforts by the Taliban government and humanitarian groups. Authorities deployed helicopters or airdropped army commandos to evacuate survivors. Aid workers walked for hours on foot to reach isolated communities.
“This is a race against time,” said Devanand Ramiah, from the UNDP’s Crisis Bureau. “Debris removal and reconstruction operations must start safely and swiftly.”
People’s main demands were the reconstruction of houses and water supplies, according to a spokesman for a Taliban government committee tasked with helping survivors, Zia ur Rahman Speenghar.
People were getting assistance in cash, food, tents, beds, and other necessities, Speenghar said Thursday. Three new roads were under construction in the Dewagal Valley, and roads would be built to areas where there previously were none.
“Various countries and organizations have offered assistance in the construction of houses but that takes time. After the second round of assistance, work will begin on the third round, which is considering what kind of houses can be built here,” the spokesman said.
Afghanistan is facing a “perfect storm” of crises, including natural disasters like the recent earthquake, said Roza Otunbayeva, who leads the U.N. mission to the country.
Afghanistan Peace Campaign
