WFP to assists only one million in Afghanistan due to financial crisis

The World Food Programme in Afghanistan has announced that due to budget constraints and financial crises, it may only be able to distribute food to one million people until October 2024.

The organization stressed that currently, 12 million people in Afghanistan require assistance to survive.

On Wednesday, June 26th, this UN-affiliated agency stated an urgent need for immediate assistance to aid the people.

The World Food Programme has highlighted that over 90% of Afghans lack enough food. They warned that hunger leads to families’ collapse, forcing some to sell their household belongings to survive.

The dire humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has been exacerbated by the forced deportation of Afghan refugees from neighboring countries.

Pakistan and Iran, two significant host countries for Afghan refugees, have increased efforts to repatriate them amid regional security concerns and strained resources. This has resulted in a humanitarian crisis as many Afghan refugees face uncertain futures and inadequate support upon returning to Afghanistan.

The forced returns have put immense pressure on Afghanistan’s already fragile infrastructure and limited capacity to provide essential services to returnees. With the ongoing conflict and economic instability, the situation is dire for both internally displaced persons and returning refugees who lack access to basic necessities such as food, shelter, and healthcare.

The international community has been urged to step up humanitarian aid and support mechanisms to alleviate the suffering of Afghan civilians, ensuring that adequate resources are available to address the immediate needs and long-term challenges facing the country.

WFP to assists only one million in Afghanistan due to financial crisis
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Vienna Conference calls for responsible UN action on Afghanistan

Participants of the fourth Vienna conference criticized the announcement made today, June 26th, regarding the upcoming Doha conference and urged the United Nations to handle this matter responsibly.

They criticized the upcoming third Doha conference, scheduled for June 30th to July 1st, labeling it as a unilateral meeting organized according to the Taliban’s representatives.

Furthermore, the agenda of the third Doha conference indicates that the United Nations has departed from its primary mission in this conference, and the organization should not engage in talks with the Taliban as representatives of the people of Afghanistan.

Anarkali Honaryar, a former member of the Afghan Senate, addressed the Doha conference in her speech at the Vienna meeting today, stating, “The United Nations has organized this conference, and it must include women, civil society, political forces, and the people of Afghanistan, including the Taliban, in every session, as dialogue, in my opinion, is the only solution for Afghanistan.”

Ahmad Massoud, leader of the anti-Taliban group known as the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, also emphasized in the concluding speech of the conference that the purpose of holding such meetings is to strive to map out a way out of Afghanistan’s crises.

He stated that Afghanistan is no longer a priority on the world stage, and it is time for Afghans themselves to make final efforts to pull their country out of the crisis.

During discussions in the past day’s fourth Vienna conference, two major views were debated. Some participants stressed the final efforts to resume intra-Afghan talks and negotiations as the sole solution, while others, alongside negotiations, also pressed for military options.

However, Mohammad Moheqiq, one of the former jihadist leaders, said in his speech today at this meeting, “It is time for them {Taliban} not to listen to the truth and peace talk; we have been waiting for three years for them to listen to the world and countries for peace, but they did not.”

The United Nations and the Taliban government have yet to comment on the statements of the participants of the fourth Vienna conference. But before that, Zakir Jalali, head of the third branch of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Taliban government, implicitly referred to the fourth Vienna conference and called its participants a “wandering assembly.”

So far, three rounds of these conferences have been held in Vienna, with the presence of some politicians from the former republican system and some activists from the capital of Austria.

The first Vienna conference was held in September 2022, the second in April 2023, and the third in December 2023.

Amidst a dire humanitarian and human rights crisis in Afghanistan, the Vienna Conference concluded with participants urging the United Nations to act responsibly towards the country’s ongoing challenges.

They emphasized the urgent need for international cooperation and support to address the worsening situation, including severe restrictions on women’s rights and escalating security concerns.

The participants highlighted the critical importance of humanitarian aid and protection of human rights in Afghanistan, calling for immediate action to alleviate suffering and uphold fundamental freedoms amidst the escalating crisis.

Vienna Conference calls for responsible UN action on Afghanistan
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Doha Talks ‘In No Way’ Recognize Afghan Interim Govt: Dujarric

 

The third Doha meeting is hosted by Rosemary DiCarlo, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs.

 

A delegation of the Islamic Emirate, led by Zabihullah Mujahid, will participate in the third Doha meeting, and the United Nations has described this meeting as a process to compel the interim government to adhere to its commitments.

Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, highlighted at a press briefing that holding the third Doha meeting, and meeting with the Afghan interim government delegation, does not imply formal recognition of them.

The spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, said: “In no way should any of the meetings between UN officials and the envoys be seen as an official recognition of the Taliban as the government, or legitimization.  It is about meeting who we need to meet because they are in control of Afghanistan, right?  So, we have to meet with them in order to deal with the issues of Afghanistan.”

Meanwhile, Rosemary DiCarlo, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, said that the ultimate goal of this process is the full integration of Afghanistan into the international community and the implementation of the interim government’s international commitments, including human rights and women’s and girls’ rights.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced yesterday (Tuesday, June 25) that based on the directive of the leader of the Islamic Emirate, Zabihullah Mujahid would lead the interim government delegation to participate in the third Doha meeting.

Hafiz Zia Ahmad Takal, deputy spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said: “According to the directive of the leader of the Islamic Emirate, the Islamic Emirate delegation will participate in the third Doha meeting under the leadership of Mawlawi Zabihullah Mujahid, the central spokesman of the Islamic Emirate.”

Meanwhile, 16 prominent women leaders in the Global Female Leaders Summit 2024 emphasized in an open letter to the international community that ignoring women in the Doha meeting undermines the credibility and effectiveness of this meeting.

Some political analysts believe that to address the challenges in the country and increase engagement between the international community and the Islamic Emirate, all parties must have a unified perspective.

“If steps are taken to open the practical path of engagement, it benefits everyone, and if we do not use this opportunity correctly, since powerful countries are in confrontation and alliance-building, we too will be harmed by this confrontation,” Sayed Qaribullah Sadat, a political analyst, told TOLOnews.

The third Doha meeting is hosted by Rosemary DiCarlo, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, on behalf of António Guterres.

It is expected that the third Doha meeting will be held in Qatar in three days, on June 30, with the participation of representatives from over 30 countries and global institutions.

Doha Talks ‘In No Way’ Recognize Afghan Interim Govt: Dujarric
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Nearly 100,000 Tourists Visit Bamyan in One Week

Raed said: “This year, during the week of Eid, about 92,000 people visited Band-e Amir, including the historical sites of Bamyan such as the city of Zahhak, Gholghola, and the Buddha area.”

Bamyan is one of the central provinces of the country, which, with its numerous natural and recreational attractions, draws thousands of tourists from all corners of Afghanistan and the world every year.

Several tourists who have come to Bamyan from various provinces express satisfaction with the security on Bamyan’s routes but say that more tourism facilities are needed.

Izzatullah, a tourist from Helmand, said: “It is a very green and beautiful province, and we are very happy with this trip. Additionally, the security atmosphere was very well-organized.”

Navid, a tourist from Kabul, said: “It is a very good place for recreation. Our compatriots should make an effort to visit Band-e Amir.”

Lifting the ban on women visiting Band-e Amir National Park and the reconstruction of roads to recreational and historical sites are other demands of tourists and residents of Bamyan.

Sayed Zamen, a resident of Bamyan, said: “A regulation should be made so that women are not deprived of tourism and outings.”

Ajmal, a tourist, said: “Efforts should be made to facilitate tourism for families.”

Band-e Amir National Park, Qazan Foladi, the Buddha statues, the city of Gholghola, and the city of Zahhak are among the most important recreational and historical sites in Bamyan, which also play a key role in attracting tourists.

Nearly 100,000 Tourists Visit Bamyan in One Week
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Shutting Afghan women out of key UN conference to appease Taliban ‘a betrayal’

The Taliban are reportedly demanding that no Afghan women be allowed to participate in the UN meeting in Doha starting 30 June, set up to discuss the international community’s approach to Afghanistan, and that women’s rights are not on the agenda.

Since taking power in Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban have restricted women’s access to education, employment and public spaces. In March, it was reported that they would reintroduce the public flogging and stoning of women for adultery.

The Taliban did not participate in UN talks earlier this year, with the UN chief António Guterres saying at the time that the group presented a set of conditions for its participation that “denied us the right to talk to other representatives of the Afghan society” and were “not acceptable”.

Tirana Hassan, executive director at Human Rights Watch, said: “Excluding women risks legitimising the Taliban’s abuses and triggering irreparable harm to the UN’s credibility as an advocate for women’s rights and women’s meaningful participation.”

In trying to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table now, the UN was giving in to their demands to exclude women’s rights, said the former Afghan minister of women’s affairs Sima Samar.

“This situation is an indirect submission to the will of the Taliban. Law, democracy and sustainable peace are not possible without including half of the population of the society who are women. I don’t think we have learned anything from past mistakes.

“As one of the main changes, the people of Afghanistan should protest against discrimination, especially against women. Because this is not only the problem of women, but the problem of every family and every father, brother, child and husband,” said Samar.

Habiba Sarabi, another former minister of women’s affairs in Afghanistan and the country’s first female governor, said the international community was prioritising engagement with the Taliban over women’s rights.

“Unfortunately, the international community wants to deal with the Taliban, and that is why their own agenda has always been more important to them than the women of Afghanistan, democracy, or anything else,” she said.

Heather Barr, from Human Rights watch, said: “What is happening in Afghanistan is the most serious women’s rights crisis in the world and the idea that the UN would convene a meeting like this and not discuss women’s rights and not have Afghan women in the room is beyond belief.

“The only plausible explanation is that they’re doing this to get the Taliban to the table, but for what? Already, three years of diplomatic engagement has produced nothing and all this does is set an appalling precedent, emboldens and legitimises the Taliban and hands them a huge political win. It is a betrayal not just of Afghan women but all women around the world.”

The UN has been approached for comment, but in response to questioning on the involvement of Afghan civil society representatives it reportedly said arrangements for the conference were ongoing.

Shutting Afghan women out of key UN conference to appease Taliban ‘a betrayal’
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Over 500 at-risk Afghans transferred to Germany in nearly two years

Fidel Rahmati

Khaama Press

German media reports that since the start of the program to accept at-risk Afghans into Germany, 530 individuals have been transferred to the country.

According to reports, the number of Afghan admissions through this program has been limited due to security checks, which began in August 2022.

German media, quoting a spokesperson for the Interior Ministry, wrote that Germany intends to transfer one thousand at-risk Afghans to the country monthly through this acceptance program.

These reports indicate that the program was launched in August 2021, with only 13 Afghan entries recorded in the Interior Ministry since August last year.

The at-risk Afghan acceptance program includes individuals vulnerable to Taliban persecution, torture, or harassment or those endangered due to their previous work in critical areas such as justice, education, or politics.

The discussion around accepting at-risk Afghans into Germany comes amid concerns over the increasing presence of Afghan migrants accused of crimes in the country.

Recently, Nancy Faeser, Germany’s Interior Minister, stated, “We are working hard to ensure that we can once again deport dangerous Islamists and violent criminals to Afghanistan.”

Amid heightened concerns over national security, Germany has intensified efforts to deport criminal refugees, including Afghans, back to Afghanistan. This initiative comes in response to increased incidents of attacks involving knives, prompting authorities to prioritize national safety.

The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan has exacerbated the challenges faced by Afghan migrants in Germany. As the Taliban regime tightens its grip on power, reports of persecution and worsening conditions for civilians have raised alarm globally.

Over 500 at-risk Afghans transferred to Germany in nearly two years
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UN spokesperson says women’s rights will be highlighted at Doha meeting

A UN spokesperson said on Sunday that the aim of the Doha meetings is to “encourage the Taliban to engage with the world in a coordinated and orderly manner for the benefit of the Afghan people.”

Stéphane Dujarric, the UN spokesperson, said on Sunday, June 23, that human rights, especially women’s rights, “will be highlighted in all discussions at the Doha meeting.”

Dujarric emphasized that the Doha meetings are “part of a process and not a one-time event” and that women and Afghan civil society will continue to be part of this process.

The Taliban will send their representatives to Qatar next week for a two-day meeting in Doha, which will include senior UN officials and special representatives from 25 countries for Afghanistan.

This is the third UN-led meeting and the first to include Taliban officials, but the exclusion of women and civil society representatives from the main meeting has sparked widespread criticism.

Tirana Hassan, executive director of Human Rights Watch, told Reuters that “excluding women [from the Doha meeting] risks legitimizing the Taliban and causing irreparable harm to the UN’s credibility as a defender of women’s rights and meaningful participation.”

Agnes Callamard, Secretary-General of Amnesty International, stated that “marginalizing important discussions on human rights is unacceptable and sets a very damaging precedent” regarding the third Doha meeting.

Rosemary DiCarlo, the UN’s political affairs chief, and Rosa Otunbayeva, the UN special envoy to Afghanistan, are expected to meet separately with Afghan civil society groups after they meet with the Taliban.

Meanwhile, Otunbayeva stated that the Doha meeting will focus on the private sector and combating drug trafficking. She also mentioned that the upcoming meeting “has created significant expectations that realistically cannot be met in a single session.”

Critics have pointed out that the UN, by excluding women’s representatives and discussions on women’s rights from the upcoming Doha meeting, is overlooking the dire human rights situation in Afghanistan.

The absence of women’s voices in the meeting undermines efforts to address the severe restrictions imposed on women by the Taliban, who have banned women from most aspects of public life, including employment and education.

UN spokesperson says women’s rights will be highlighted at Doha meeting
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G7 countries oppose composition and agenda of third Doha meeting on Afghanistan: Report

According to reports, G7 countries, including the US and UK, oppose the composition and agenda of the third Doha meeting.

Special representatives from some countries, including the US, might not attend the meeting, reports said.

On Monday, June 24, reports indicate that G7 members are dissatisfied with the performance of UNAMA chief Rosa Otunbayeva in Afghanistan, afintl.com reported.

Western countries’ disagreements extend beyond the composition and agenda of the third Doha meeting; they also want a special representative for Afghanistan appointed quickly and have asked the UN to expedite this.

The Taliban oppose the appointment of a new representative for Afghanistan.

The world’s seven largest economies have asked the UN to include Afghan women and civil society members in the Doha meetings and have protested their exclusion from next week’s meeting.

Some diplomats said Canada and France hold a “tougher stance” than other countries.

Sources indicate that some countries, including the US, are “not optimistic” about Rosa Otunbayeva’s activities as the UNAMA chief, suspecting she may be “aligned with Russia.”

However, Western countries, including G7 members, believe that finding a solution to Afghanistan’s current crisis is impractical without a special representative.

Reports indicate that Western diplomats will not attend the third Doha meeting at a high level, similar to the second round. The UN had previously confirmed that Secretary-General António Guterres will not participate in the third Doha meeting.

meanwhile, António Guterres is “tired” of the Afghanistan issue. According to UN officials, the third Doha meeting will be chaired by Rosemary DiCarlo, the UN Deputy Secretary-General.

Previously, a US State Department spokesperson said that Thomas West and Rina Amiri, US special representatives, do not plan to attend the third Doha meeting.

Since the Taliban took power, the human rights situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated significantly. Restrictions on women’s education, employment, and freedom of movement have been severe.

The humanitarian crisis has worsened, with millions facing food insecurity and inadequate healthcare. The international community continues to express concern over the lack of fundamental rights and the dire living conditions in Afghanistan.

G7 countries oppose composition and agenda of third Doha meeting on Afghanistan: Report
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Muttaqi: Afghanistan’s Interaction with the World Has Progressed

He also added that there is no concern inside or outside the country that opponents of the Islamic Emirate can rely on.
Amir Khan Muttaqi, the acting Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate, said in a meeting with the ministry’s employees that the interim government’s interaction with countries and global institutions has made good progress.

Muttaqi cited the travels of interim government officials to various countries as part of the diplomatic advancements of the interim government with the world.

The acting Foreign Minister said: “Kabul has hosted many foreign representatives from different countries and organizations, and delegations from these countries have had meetings in various sectors, all of which indicate that Afghanistan has now made significant progress in its interaction with the world.”

He also added that there is no concern inside or outside the country that opponents of the Islamic Emirate can rely on.

Amir Khan Muttaqi added: “There is no concern seen inside or outside the country that would give hope to the enemies. The system is getting stronger day by day, and more importantly, so is the unity of the Afghan people and their support for the current system.”

Meanwhile, some experts believe that progress in relations between Afghanistan and other countries will help Afghanistan find solutions to various challenges it has faced for years.

“The Islamic Emirate must consider what needs to be done to formalize this interaction. I think the world has many specific demands from the Islamic Emirate, one of which is the rights of women and girls,” said Mohammad Sanger Amirzada, an international relations analyst.

“Firstly, interact with neighboring countries, secondly with the Islamic world countries, and finally with the world,” said Sayed Zia Hossaini, another political analyst.

Amir Khan Muttaqi’s remarks on the progress of the interim government’s interaction with the world come while no country has yet recognized the Islamic Emirate government.

Muttaqi: Afghanistan’s Interaction with the World Has Progressed
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Qaeda Commander at Guantánamo Bay Is Sentenced for War Crimes

Reporting from Guantánamo Bay, Cuba

The New York Times

A former Qaeda battlefield commander who admitted that his insurgents killed 17 U.S. and allied forces in wartime Afghanistan in the early 2000s will spend eight more years in prison under a plea agreement disclosed on Thursday.

The prisoner, Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi, 63, has been in U.S. custody since 2006 and struck the deal two years ago. The military judge, Col. Charles L. Pritchard Jr., officially disclosed the terms at Guantánamo Bay moments after a military jury ordered Mr. Hadi to serve 30 years in prison, the maximum sentence in his war crime case.

The outcome was part of the arcane system called military commissions, which allows prisoners to reach plea deals with a senior official at the Pentagon who oversees the war court but requires the formality of a jury sentencing hearing anyway.

The jury of 11 officers rejected arguments by Mr. Hadi’s defense lawyer that the prisoner deserved leniency, if not clemency, for his early humiliations in C.I.A. custody, subsequent cooperation with U.S. investigators and failing health.

“Justice was served today,” said Bill Eggers, whose son Capt. Daniel Eggers, 28, was killed in a roadside bombing carried out by Mr. Hadi’s fighters. Mr. Eggers, who has been attending proceedings in the case since 2017, said he viewed the jury decision to give Mr. Hadi the harshest of possible sentences a just conclusion, the plea deal reduction notwithstanding.

Mr. Eggers and his daughter were among six people who testified last week about their loss in the two-week sentencing trial.

Mr. Hadi looked stoic as the sentence was announced. Unlike the jury, he was aware of the deal that reduced his sentence to 10 years, starting with his guilty plea in June 2022. He is disabled by a paralyzing spine disease and a series of surgeries at Guantánamo and sat in court in a padded therapeutic chair, listening through a headset providing Arabic translation.

The case was an unusual one at the court, which was created to prosecute terrorism cases as war crimes after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. While prosecutors cast Mr. Hadi as a member of the Qaeda inner circle before those attacks, there was no suggestion in his plea agreement that he knew about the plot beforehand.

Instead, he admitted to being the commander of insurgent forces who unlawfully used the cover of civilians in attacks that killed 17 U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan in 2003 and 2004, for example having a fighter pose as an ordinary driver in a taxi cab laden with explosives.

He also admitted to being a Qaeda liaison to the Taliban before the Sept. 11 attacks, and to providing some of his forces to help blow up monumental Buddha statues in Afghanistan’s Bamiyan Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage site, in March 2001.

The prisoner, who says his true name is Nashwan al-Tamir, was captured in Turkey in 2006 and was held incommunicado for about six months by the C.I.A. By law, he was not entitled to credit for that period, or the 15 years and eight months he had spent in U.S. detention before his 2022 guilty plea. If he were to be released, in June 2032, under the deal, he would have been held for more than 25 years as a prisoner of the United States.

But Mr. Hadi’s future is uncertain. War court prosecutors have argued that a prisoner may be held at Guantánamo even after his sentence ends as long as the war against terrorism continues. Alternatively, under the deal, the United States could transfer him to the custody of a partner nation, if one can be found that is capable of providing specialized health care and agrees to monitor his activities.

Members of his defense team, which included Army, Air Force and Marine lawyers, looked downcast as the sentence was announced.

“He expressed remorse,” said Susan Hensler, a civilian lawyer who led the team. “He understands the seriousness of what he pleaded guilty to, but he is counting on the United States to fulfill its promise of transferring him to a partner nation with a health care infrastructure to care for him.”

Carol Rosenberg reports on the wartime prison and court at Guantánamo Bay. She has been covering the topic since the first detainees were brought to the U.S. base in 2002.

Qaeda Commander at Guantánamo Bay Is Sentenced for War Crimes
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