Homayoun Afghan, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, says the TAPI pipeline will reach the city of Herat by the end of 2025.

Afghan added that once the pipeline is in place, the gas distribution process will begin.

According to him, the pipeline’s route to Herat spans 153 kilometers, of which 14 kilometers has already been completed.

Meanwhile, economic experts have stated that once the project is completed, it will bring substantial economic benefits to Afghanistan.

“Thousands of people will be employed both directly and indirectly, and we will witness the positive economic impact of this major project in the country. It is truly a vital project for us, especially for our two industrial provinces, Kandahar and Herat, which will be able to access gas at an affordable price,” said Qalandar Rahimi, a member of the Chamber of Commerce and Investment.

Shamsur Rahman Ahmadzai, an economic affairs expert, also stated: “TAPI is considered one of Afghanistan’s key infrastructure projects, with significant economic impact that will benefit both the government and the citizens of the country.”

The total length of the TAPI gas pipeline is 1,814 kilometers, and it is designed to transport Turkmen gas through Afghanistan to Pakistan and India.

This pipeline will cut through the provinces of Herat, Farah, Nimruz, Helmand, and Kandahar, and 816 kilometers of the total length of 1,814 kilometers will be constructed within Afghanistan.

Zamir Kabulov, Russia’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, says while Afghanistan is not a top priority for Russia, it remains important for Moscow’s geopolitical interests.

In his latest interview with Russian media, Kabulov stated that establishing normal relations between Moscow and Kabul is essential for Russia’s interests.

He added that Afghanistan is geographically important to Russia and acts as a kind of transit bridge across Eurasia.

“Afghanistan is geographically very beneficial, serving as a sort of transit bridge connecting the Eurasian space, particularly the northern part of it, including Russia to the southern part of the Asian continent,” he said.

The Russian envoy emphasized that without removing the Islamic Emirate from the list of banned groups, it is impossible to create a legal basis for establishing normal relations with the Emirate not only for official security structures of the Russian Federation, but also for Russia’s economic and private business sectors.

“In order for Russia’s economic, governmental, and non-governmental organizations to sign contracts that are legally valid, official recognition is necessary. Additionally, in order to minimize the flow of terrorism and other threats from Afghanistan toward us and our allies, we need authorities who can maintain stable control over the country,” he added.

Kabulov also addressed IEA, stressing that long-term control of Afghanistan through coercive methods is impossible, and that it is essential to address the socio-economic situation and support the country’s development.

The World Food Programme (WFP) has launched an urgent appeal for $451 million to support vulnerable families across Afghanistan over the next six months.

In a post on X on Wednesday, the UN food agency said that nearly one-third of Afghanistan’s population is facing hunger.

“Afghanistan is not 100 people. It is 46 million people, of which nearly one-third grapple with hunger,” WFP stated. “If Afghanistan were 100 people, 50 would need humanitarian assistance to survive.”

WFP said the needed funds are critical to help the country’s most vulnerable as Afghanistan endures one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

The country is experiencing its fourth consecutive year of drought, economic decline, and recurring natural disasters and the ongoing campaign to deport  Afghan refugees from Iran and Pakistan has only worsened the already fragile situation.

According to UN agencies, more than 2.4 million people have returned to Afghanistan from neighboring countries since late 2023. Many of them have arrived with little or no resources.

The UN estimates that nearly 23 million people—mostly women and children—will need humanitarian assistance in 2025.

WFP projects that 3.5 million children will suffer from malnutrition this year, or one child every ten seconds.

Despite the growing needs, humanitarian funding continues to fall short.

WFP’s appeal came the same day as that issued by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) which announced that more than $400 million in funding will be required to support the reintegration of Afghan returnees in 2025.

In a statement posted on its official Facebook page on Wednesday, May 7, UNAMA detailed that $64 million is urgently needed for emergency assistance at border crossings, while an additional $350 million is required to support approximately 600,000 returnees and affected communities in rebuilding their lives.

“We call on donors not only to invest in emergency assistance, but also in long-term capacity building to help break the cycle of displacement and instability,” the statement read.

UNAMA’s funding appeal is part of the “Integrated Response Plan” to address the anticipated crisis stemming from the mass return of Afghan migrants from Pakistan in 2025.