Fox News reported that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has been urged to halt U.S. aid to Afghanistan.

According to the media outlet, this request comes after the revelation that nearly $300 million in U.S. aid might have ended up in the hands of the Taliban.

Previously, the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) reported that two offices within the State Department failed to account for $293 million in U.S. aid to Afghanistan.

Two days ago, U.S. Senator Mike Braun, in a letter to Blinken, described this report as “profoundly alarming” and urged him to suspend U.S. aid to Afghanistan until the issue is resolved.

Senator Braun added that the State Department’s failure to adhere to anti-terrorism inspection standards has “strengthened the Taliban and other terrorist groups.”

He also emphasized that when funds intended for humanitarian and development purposes end up supporting terrorism and perpetuating violence and instability, it undermines U.S. national security.

The Republican senator requested in his letter that the Secretary of State implement corrective measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

This call to halt U.S. aid to Afghanistan comes as SIGAR noted in another report that the U.S. has provided approximately $21 billion in aid to Afghanistan over the past three years.

SIGAR stated that these funds have been spent on humanitarian, development, and infrastructure projects, the relocation and resettlement of refugees from Afghanistan to the U.S., and the repayment of Afghan currency reserves.

The ongoing concerns about U.S. aid to Afghanistan highlight significant issues in accountability and oversight, particularly with the risk of funds being misused or diverted to support terrorism.

The calls for halting aid underscore the necessity for stringent measures to ensure that humanitarian and development assistance achieves its intended goals without compromising security or stability.

Implementing robust oversight mechanisms will be crucial in safeguarding both U.S. interests and the intended beneficiaries in Afghanistan.

The Statistics and Information Authority of the Taliban has recently estimated Afghanistan’s population to be 35.7 million in the current solar year 1403.

The authority released the results of its census on Wednesday, August 7, showing that out of the total 35.7 million population of Afghanistan, 18.2 million are men and 17.5 million are women.

Previously, the Taliban’s Statistics and Information Authority had estimated Afghanistan’s population at 34.9 million for the year last solar year 1402.

The Taliban administration has not explained its census methodology, and it is unclear how this estimated figure of the total population of Afghanistan was derived.

This comes in contrast to surveys conducted by international organizations, which estimate Afghanistan’s population to be over 40 million.

The population census in Afghanistan has long been a subject of controversy and dispute. Different methods and tools used by various administrations have resulted in significantly varying estimates. The discrepancies in population figures have raised questions about the accuracy and reliability of the data provided by the authorities.

International organizations and independent experts have often criticized the lack of transparency and the potential political motivations behind the census figures.

Accurate population data is crucial for resource allocation, policy-making, and humanitarian efforts, making the need for a credible and transparent census process even more critical in the context of Afghanistan’s ongoing challenges.

In response to increasing reactions regarding the mistreatment of Afghan migrants in Iran, a senior security official has emphasized that “illegal” migrants must leave the country by the end of the current year.

On Wednesday, August 7, IRNA news agency, quoting Ahmad Reza Radan, the Chief Commander of Iran’s Law Enforcement Force, reported that “unauthorized” migrants must leave the country and return to their homeland by the end of the year.

He stated that the policy and plan are based on the return of all “unauthorized individuals” and stressed that “if they move towards the borders, they will be arrested and transferred to camps.”

This comes as a video showing the arrest and torture of an Afghan migrant teenager by Iranian security forces has sparked widespread reactions.

Recently, a video circulating on social media showed a teenager being beaten and tortured by Iranian police on a road.

Previously, the Ministry of Interior of the Islamic Republic had issued a statement emphasizing the expulsion of Afghan migrants, stating that “there is no capacity to accept Afghans in the country, and organizing those who are authorized to stay temporarily is necessary.”

It is worth noting that despite international calls to halt the expulsion of Afghan migrants from Iran and Pakistan, this process continues, with hundreds of individuals entering Afghanistan daily.

The ongoing expulsion of Afghan migrants from Iran, amid reports of mistreatment and torture, underscores a significant humanitarian crisis.

The Iranian government’s stringent policies and the recent viral video have drawn widespread condemnation and highlight the urgent need for international intervention.

Despite calls for halting deportations, the relentless return of Afghan migrants continues, posing severe challenges for the individuals affected and their home countries. The global community must advocate for the protection of migrant rights and address the underlying causes of this migration crisis.

The Save the Children organization has announced that during the first six months of the current calendar year, at least 38,000 people, predominantly children, have been displaced in Afghanistan due to climate change.

The organization reported an increase in internal displacement in Afghanistan compared to 2023, highlighting the plight of internally displaced persons.

According to the report, the number of internally displaced persons in the first six months of 2024 exceeds the total for the entire previous year.

The report identifies drought, rising temperatures, floods, landslides, rainfall, and storms as major factors contributing to displacement in Afghanistan.

According to Save the Children, Afghanistan had over 747,000 displaced children due to natural disasters last year, making it the country with the highest number of child displacements globally, with children constituting 50% of these refugees this year as well.

Afghanistan is recognized as the sixth most vulnerable country to climate change impacts globally, with international organizations consistently warning of increasing humanitarian crises resulting from this phenomenon.

Previously, Save the Children had reported that ongoing floods in Afghanistan have left 40,000 children homeless and claimed the lives of 200 children.

The situation in Afghanistan underscores the urgent need for global attention and support to mitigate the effects of climate change, particularly on vulnerable populations such as children, who are disproportionately affected by natural disasters. Immediate action and international cooperation are crucial to addressing these humanitarian challenges and ensuring the safety and well-being of Afghan children.

The Afghanistan Journalists Center reported that the Taliban Ministry of  Communications and Information Technology has suspended the licenses of 17 local media outlets in Nangarhar province.

The ministry stated that the licenses of these media outlets were suspended due to non-payment of taxes.

According to the Afghanistan Journalists Center, the Taliban’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has warned that these media outlets will not be allowed to operate until they settle their “frequency tax” dues.

The Afghanistan Journalists Center expressed concern on Monday, August 5, over the suspension of activities of these media outlets and criticized the Taliban ministry’s decision as unfair. They urged Taliban authorities to reconsider their decision.

The Afghanistan Journalists Center reported that since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan in August 2021, the operations of private television station Enikas Radio and Nargis and Islah radios in Nangarhar province have been halted.

The center added that currently, 14 radios are active in this province.

The report stated that the Taliban has not yet halted the publications of these media outlets but has warned their owners that if they do not pay the obligatory taxes, their publications will be stopped.

This organization supporting media outlets mentioned that radios and local television stations in Nangarhar, as a first-class province, are obligated to pay an annual tax of 108,000 Afghanis. The center acknowledges that these media outlets owe back taxes ranging from one to ten years.

The suppression of independent media and restrictions on journalism have intensified in Afghanistan under Taliban rule, leading to concerns about press freedom and access to information.

The international community has raised alarms about the deteriorating situation of media freedom in Afghanistan and has called on the Taliban to uphold press freedoms and allow journalists to operate without fear of reprisals or censorship.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) recently announced that over 28,000 children in Afghanistan are suffering from malnutrition.

This organization stated on Wednesday, August 7th, that 28,000 children have been affected by malnutrition in just the past seven months.

It is worth noting that UNICEF published these statistics on the final day of World Breastfeeding Week.

According to this organization, among these children, more than ten thousand are under six months old and are facing malnutrition.

In conjunction with August 1, marking the start of World Breastfeeding Week, UNICEF has stated that 52% of infants worldwide are not receiving healthy milk.

UNICEF, in a joint statement with the World Health Organization, released these statistics in honor of “World Breastfeeding Week.” The United Nations Children’s Fund added that improving breastfeeding rates could save the lives of more than 820,000 children annually.

Today marks the last day of World Breastfeeding Week. However, the importance of natural infant nutrition has led the World Health Organization and UNICEF to designate August 1 to August 7 as World Breastfeeding Week and World Breastfeeding Day.

UNICEF’s report highlights the urgent need for attention to child malnutrition in Afghanistan and the critical role breastfeeding can play in combating this issue.

Global efforts, such as those led by UNICEF and the WHO, underscore the importance of promoting breastfeeding to ensure infants receive the nutrition they need for healthy growth and development.

As awareness of this issue increases, communities and governments worldwide must support initiatives that encourage and enable breastfeeding, aiming to improve infant health and save lives.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has announced that Canada has contributed approximately $2.2 million to the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund.

This agency expressed gratitude for the Canadian government’s aid to Afghanistan in a message posted on its X page on Wednesday, August 7.

OCHA has emphasized that since 2019, Canada has contributed a total of 15.8 million Canadian dollars to Afghanistan.

Previously, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) had issued a report warning about the organization’s budget shortage for continuing humanitarian activities in Afghanistan.

According to the agency, 23.7 million people in Afghanistan will need humanitarian assistance to survive this year.

Meanwhile, several aid agencies have attributed the increase in Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis to climate change, including increased heavy rains, floods, storms, and the return of Afghan refugees from countries like Iran and Pakistan.

The current dire humanitarian crisis highlights the urgent need for international support and collaborative efforts to address the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

As Canada and other nations step forward with assistance, it is vital to continue and expand these efforts to ensure that the millions in need receive timely and effective aid. Addressing the root causes, such as climate change and geopolitical challenges, will also be crucial in developing sustainable solutions to prevent future crises.