Category: Afghanistan

With only a few weeks until the harsh Afghan winter sets in, these funds are crucial to preparing food supplies and helping those in most need…reports Asian Lite News

As Afghanistan continues to grapple with a food crisis amid a deteriorating economy, the World Food Programme has appealed for USD 400 million to provide for the communities in the Taliban-ruled nation, according to Khaama Press.

As winter draws near, the World Food Programme (WFP) in Afghanistan has an enormous challenge to meet, which is to provide food supplies for vulnerable people.

With only a few weeks until the harsh Afghan winter sets in, these funds are crucial to preparing food supplies and helping those in most need.

Over 29 million people are impacted by Afghanistan’s ongoing humanitarian crisis, which is among the worst in the world. Remarkably, more than 90 per cent of people are below the poverty level, and almost 17 million people experience severe food insecurity, Khaama Press reported.

The enormity of the issue highlights how important it is for organisations like the World Food Programme to take action in this grave scenario. Recent occurrences, like the terrible earthquakes in Herat and the deportation of refugees from Pakistan, have compounded the complexity of the situation.

The already severe humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has been made worse by these events, severely taxing available resources and hampering humanitarian efforts.

According to Khaama Press, the WFP’s request for USD 400 million in Afghanistan is an appeal to the international community to take action in the face of such formidable obstacles.

Since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, the country’s economic situation has deteriorated. The Afghans have repeatedly complained of lack of basic amenities under the interim government and the country is now heavily dependent on humanitarian aid.

A significant amount of humanitarian aid is needed to alleviate the long-standing problems of poverty and food insecurity, as well as to lessen the upcoming winter crisis. (ANI)

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A large number of those returning home, especially women and children, lack adequate facilities after their repatriation….reports Asian Lite News

After Pakistan announced a deadline for undocumented Afghans to leave the country, around 2,00,000 Afghans have returned home via Torkham border, The News International reported on Thursday.

It reported that police in Peshawar and other districts have started checking the documents of vendors and shopkeepers in some areas to find out if they possess Proof of Registration (PoR) cards or any other document legalising their stay in Pakistan. No mass arrests were reported from any locality.

A large number of those returning home, especially women and children, lack adequate facilities after their repatriation. Many of them don’t have their houses as they had left the country decades back while tens of thousands were born in Pakistan.

“Over 189,000 returned to Afghanistan via Torkham and 2,975 via Angoor Adda till November 7,” an official said. He added that the figures for Wednesday were yet to be received.

The ones who have returned also included the PoR card holders and those coming on visas, The News International reported.

As per the official data, over 800 undocumented Afghans were returned from KP, 288 from Punjab, over 200 from Azad Jammu and Kashmir and 81 from Islamabad via transit centres in the last over a week.

“As a goodwill gesture, SP Cantt Waqas Rafiq and Additional Deputy Commissioner Imran Yousufzai along with two female ASPs Nayab and Nazish visited the transit point and met children and women who were leaving for Afghanistan,” said an official. He added that cops and other official teams had been directed to be courteous to Afghan families returning to their homeland after decades.

Besides, teams carrying out the door-to-door verification in different mapped areas had been ordered to be considerate. Different departments have mapped over 49,000 illegal foreigners in different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Some of them have returned recently, The News International reported.

It has been made clear by the authorities time and again that no action was being taken against Afghans who possessed Proof of Registration cards issued by the UNHCR, Afghan Citizen Cards and valid visas.

The News International reported the government has stopped the authorities from taking action against those whose cases are under consideration with the UNHCR and they are planning to leave for a third country due to the serious threat to their lives in Afghanistan. (ANI)

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Some 245 illegal immigrants were scheduled to be deported via Torkham at different intervals, as first convoy carrying 24 individuals had reached Khyber Pakhtunkhwa….reports Asian Lite News

The first group of Afghan immigrants are set to be repatriated to Afghanistan through the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Torkham border, Dawn reported on Thursday.

The first set of immigrants are being repatriated from the region of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Dawn reported citing officials that some 245 illegal immigrants were scheduled to be deported via Torkham at different intervals, adding that the first convoy carrying 24 individuals, including men, women and kids from Muzaffarabad and Kotli areas, had reached Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“This was the first-ever repatriation via Torkham,” a senior official informed, adding that the movement of the illegal immigrants from Islamabad and PoK via Torkham was stopped on Wednesday for one day.

The official said 15 undocumented Afghan inmates imprisoned for petty crimes, including one from Abbottabad, four from Haripur and 10 from Peshawar, were also deported to Afghanistan. With 17 more imprisoned on Wednesday, a total of 288 immigrants were shifted from Punjab and deported via Torkham, Dawn reported.

Officials said that 4,119 illegal immigrants — including 1,236 men, 1,184 women, 1,650 children and 49 prisoners — were repatriated to Afghanistan on Wednesday. This brought the total of repatriated people from mid-September to 1,93,378, including 54,599 men, 42,164 women and 9,615 children.

The rise in repatriations comes after the Pakistan government ordered 1.7 million Afghans, “living illegally” in the country, to leave or face deportation, Dawn reported.

Meanwhile, Afghan refugees living without legal documents in Quetta and other parts of Balochistan were also leaving for their country through a voluntary repatriation programme of the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, via the border town of Chaman.

UNHCR officials in Quetta said that according to the International Organisation for Migration, 1,926 Afghan families consisting of 26,275 individuals were returned to Afghanistan from the Chaman border in October.

The number was almost four times higher than a month ago, when 520 Afghan families comprising 6,666 individuals returned.

The officials attributed the higher number of returnees mainly to fear of arrest, harassment and deportation.

The UNHCR officials said that the agency’s voluntary repatriation centre in the Baleli town of Quetta facilitated the return of 475 refugee households consisting of 2,078 individuals, Dawn reported.

“This represents a 132 per cent increase compared to the previous month’s 186 families comprising 896 individuals,” they said.

Balochistan Information Minister Jan Achakzai earlier stated the number of returning Afghan refugees at over 66,000, including 26,000 refugees who reached Chaman from Karachi and other parts of Sindh.

Earlier on Wednesday, undocumented Afghan refugees continued to return to their home country via the Chaman border. Around 70 were sent to Chaman by authorities in tight security, while more families arrived from Karachi and other parts of Sindh, Dawn reported.

Meanwhile, officials say that despite being legally permitted to stay, several registered Afghan refugees are also choosing to return to their homeland, as the government has yet to decide on their repatriation. (ANI)

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MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that New Delhi holds high importance with the issue and will continue to raise the issue…reports Asian Lite News

India has repeatedly raised concern over USD 20 fees levied on by Pakistan for access to the Kartarpur Corridor, but no update has been received by Islamabad, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.

MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that New Delhi holds high importance with the issue and will continue to raise the issue.

Addressing the MEA press briefing, Bagchi said, “This topic is very important to us. We have proposed to decrease or remove the USD 20 fee. We have also raised the issue of passport. We keep repeating it but we have not received any update on it. We know it creates problems, and we will keep on raising it”

MEA also condemned the ceasefire violations and cross-border infiltration by Pakistan and called it a violation of bilateral agreements.

“The incidents of ceasefire violations and cross-border infiltration by drone or firing, it is a violation of our bilateral agreements. We always take up in front of Pakistan,” Bagchi said.

He added, “The BSF took up the issue in the recent incidents in flag meetings with the Pakistani side. We have also put the issue in front of them through various bilateral channels”.

On the matter involving 8 ex-naval personnel being sentenced to death by a Qatar court, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that the judgment remains “confidential”, adding that the appeal has been filed in the case.

The MEA has also urged everyone to refrain from “engaging in speculation” due to the sensitive nature of the case and that the Indian embassy received another consular access on November 7.

Amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, India has further reiterated its call for immediate and unconditional release of hostages while also urging to de-escalate the situation to resume direct peace negotiations towards a two state solution.

MEA said that India has also shared its concern over the rising death toll of civilians during conflict, and welcomed efforts to de-escalate the situation and provide humanitarian assistance. (ANI)

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Indonesian Foreign Minister Pushes for OIC Suspension of Ties with Afghanistan…reports Asian Lite News

Indonesia’s foreign minister, participating in the same conference, called on the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to suspend its engagement with Afghanistan due to the restrictions imposed on women and girls.

The UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina J. Mohammed, has called for an assessment of the Taliban’s stringent restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan as well as the denial of fundamental rights granted by divine principles , TOLO News reported.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the International Conference on Women in Islam in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina emphasized that investing in girls’ education can ensure a promising future not only for the girls themselves but also for their families and communities.

Amina said: “The Taliban’s harsh restrictions and denial of divinely granted rights must be addressed as a matter of urgency. By investing in the education of our girls, we are not just uplifting individuals; we are securing a brighter future for our families, our sisters, communities, and neighbourhoods.”

Indonesia’s foreign minister, participating in the same conference, called on the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to suspend its engagement with Afghanistan due to the restrictions imposed on women and girls. The Asian Group, which includes Indonesia, advocates for women’s access to education and full participation in Afghan society, which they believe will greatly benefit Afghanistan’s recovery efforts.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said: “The Asian Group calls on the OIC … to suspend the engagement in Afghanistan spearheaded by ulema’s mission. We want access of women to education and all aspects of Afghan society. This will result in tremendous results for Afghanistan’s recovery programmes.”

Meanwhile, the Taliban’s spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, asserted that women’s rights are guaranteed in Afghanistan, citing Islamic and Sharia principles as the foundation for these rights. He acknowledged some isolated issues that still need to be addressed.

“The issue of human rights, particularly, the rights of women, has been resolved. The rights that have been given to sisters in Islam and Sharia, are the best rights which have never been seen elsewhere. We do have some problems in some areas which have not been addressed but these are exceptions,” Mujahid said, as per TOLO News.

Recently, several members of the United Nations Security Council expressed concerns about human rights violations and women’s rights in Afghanistan, stating that women, including female journalists and human rights activists, are facing violence in public places, Khaama Press reported.

Members of the UN Security Council called for the “meaningful” participation of women in all decision-making processes.

Previously, members of the UNSC expressed concerns about human rights violations and fundamental freedoms of women and girls in Afghanistan through a joint statement, emphasising that these actions are contrary to the expectations of the global community. (ANI)

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