Russia’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, will visit Pakistan on Thursday to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, Islamabad said.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Zahra Baloch, told a press briefing that Kabulov will meet with Foreign Secretary Amina Baloch and hold detailed discussions with Additional Foreign Secretary (Afghanistan and West Asia) Ahmad Naseem Warraich.

“The two sides will review the situation in Afghanistan, and discuss the role of neighboring countries in promoting regional peace and stability,” Baloch said.

Iran’s ministry of justice’s deputy for international affairs and human rights, along with the Islamic Emirate has announced plans to repatriate Afghan prisoners over the next two months.

Iranian deputy minister Askar Jalalian said Wednesday that an agreement regarding the deportation of Afghan convicts was first signed in 2005 and that the current government is duty bound to adhere to the accord.

Jalalian said he will travel to Kabul to discuss the transfer of prisoners currently being held in Tehran, as well as the repatriation of Iranian prisoners in Afghanistan.

He said the relationship between Iran and Afghanistan is strong across various sectors, noting that both nations share a common language and numerous cultural ties.

Jalalian acknowledged that some adversaries may not favor the strengthening of Iran's relations with its neighbors; however, he affirmed the importance of nurturing the deep-rooted connections between the two countries.

The Islamic Emirate has said it hopes to facilitate the transfer of the 1,000 Afghan prisoners within the next two months in order for them to serve out their sentences in Afghanistan.

The IEA also confirmed that a delegation from Iran's Ministry of Justice will meet with officials in Kabul to finalize the matter.

The deputy spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, Hamdullah Fitrat, meanwhile said the delegation’s visit to Kabul will be a constructive step towards exchanging prisoners between the two countries.

France has allocated 3 million euros ($3.3 million) from its Food Assistance Program (FAP), to support the World Food Programme's (WFP) school feeding and nutrition programs in Afghanistan, the UN agency said Thursday.

Over 15,000 Afghan primary school girls and boys will receive a healthy daily school snack, and more than 35,000 will get monthly take-home rations of vegetable oil to improve the nutrition of an entire family.

Additionally, nearly 60,000 young children and more than 10,000 pregnant or breastfeeding mothers will receive specialized nutritious food.

"More than three-quarters of all families in Afghanistan cannot afford a nutritious diet that would keep them from falling into malnutrition," said Salina Grenet-Catalano, director of global affairs at the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs .

"France prioritizes the fight against malnutrition as it prepares to host the next Nutrition for Growth summit in Paris in March 2025. We remain committed to standing by the people of Afghanistan, offering support where needed most,” she said.

Due to a funding crisis this year, WFP could not provide two million women and children with food to prevent malnutrition.
Last year, funding shortages forced WFP to withdraw 10 million people from food assistance, leading to increased malnutrition rates and placing entire provinces at risk of falling back into emergency levels of malnutrition.

"This contribution comes at a critical moment for Afghan mothers and children who are hardest hit by the hunger crisis," said Harald Mannhardt, WFP Deputy Country Director in Afghanistan.

"Afghanistan is a global hunger hotspot with more than a quarter of the population going hungry and nine out of ten women-headed families cannot afford enough food."

This latest contribution of 3 million euros (US$3.3 million) from France brings their contribution to 6 million euros (US$6.5 million) in 2024.

Building on the last two years' contributions of almost US$16 million, France remains among the top ten contributors to WFP in Afghanistan.