The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has announced a significant reduction in funding for humanitarian operations in Afghanistan, prompting a re-prioritization of aid delivery across the country.

In a statement released on Tuesday, May 13, via its official X account, OCHA said that assistance efforts have been refocused to address the most severe needs of 12.5 million people.

The agency stated that it requires $1.62 billion to reach the most vulnerable populations.

For the entirety of 2025, OCHA has requested a total of $2.42 billion to fund humanitarian operations in Afghanistan.

However, due to limited financial resources, only 145 out of 401 districts across the country have been designated as high-priority areas for aid delivery.

This measure is part of the UN’s strategy to effectively manage constrained resources and concentrate efforts on the most at-risk communities.

OCHA also noted that it remains uncertain how much of the required funding will actually be secured for Afghanistan in 2025.

This development comes amid a broader decline in international aid to Afghanistan.

The United States, previously the country’s largest donor, has significantly reduced its assistance, impacting Afghanistan and other low-income nations.

At the same time, the ongoing deportation of Afghan migrants from neighboring countries, including Iran and Pakistan, continues to exacerbate the humanitarian situation, placing additional strain on already limited resources.

A delegation from Afghanistan, led by Abdul Bari Omar, head of Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS), has traveled to Tajikistan to participate in a regional meeting on the CASA-1000 energy project.

According to a statement from DABS, the meeting will bring together representatives from Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, along with officials from the Islamic Development Bank and other international organizations.

The primary objective of the gathering is to review progress, identify challenges, propose solutions, and outline future plans for the CASA-1000 project.

CASA-1000 is one of the largest joint economic initiatives between Central and South Asia, designed to transmit electricity from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to Afghanistan and Pakistan. Afghanistan plays a crucial role in the project as a key transit country.

At the conclusion of the meeting, participants are scheduled to visit the substation in Sangtuda, Tajikistan, to assess the project’s technical components.

DABS reaffirmed its commitment, with financial support from the World Bank, to expedite the completion of CASA-1000, with the aim of strengthening political and economic ties among the member countries.

The project is regarded as a significant step toward enhancing regional cooperation and improving energy infrastructure across Afghanistan and its neighboring states.

Most foreign players, with a few exceptions, are expected to return for IPL 2025 when the tournament resumes on Saturday, May 17, after a week-long suspension due to cross-border conflict between India and Pakistan. 

Gujarat Titans, who are sitting at the top of the points table, are undoubtedly pleased that England batter Jos Buttler and South Africa fast bowler Gerald Coetzee will rejoin the team today, Wednesday, May 14.

Buttler and Coetzee were the only two overseas players from the GT squad who left India when the tournament was suspended. 

The team’s other overseas players – Rashid Khan, Sherfane Rutherford, Kagiso Rabada and Karim Janat – had stayed with the rest of the squad in India.

However, some players will leave before playoffs, including Rutherford who has been named in the West Indies ODI squad for the series in England from May 29 to June 3.

With Buttler named in England’s white-ball squads, there is a chance that he could also miss the playoffs. 

“We’re keen to support the IPL and the BCCI in getting the schedule up and running, and to facilitate players’ return should they choose to go back,” an England Cricket Board spokesperson said on Tuesday after the squad announcement.

GT, who currently lead the points table with 16 points – ahead of Royal Challengers Bengaluru on net run rate – have three matches left in the league phase. 

Their next match is on Sunday, May 18, against Delhi Capitals in Delhi.

The Australian pair of Pat Cummins and Travis Head are likely to rejoin the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) squad although both players were named in Australia’s Test squad for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against South Africa at Lord’s from June 11.

Their departure last week from India raised questions over whether they would return for the IPL considering SRH are already out of contention for the playoffs.

Other teams could however face a few setbacks as Jacob Bethell, from Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Will Jacks, from Mumbai Indians, also appear set to miss the rearranged IPL 2025 playoffs after they were named in England’s squad for a home ODI series against West Indies.

Bethell and Jacks, who both left the country last week, will return to India for their team’s next two fixtures.

England named a 16-man squad on Tuesday for their three-match ODI series against West Indies, which starts on May 29. 

The IPL’s group stage now runs until May 27, with the playoffs starting on May 29 and running until the final on June 3. 

Gujarat Titans, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians are all well-placed to qualify for the final stages.

Jofra Archer, from Rajasthan Royals, and Jamie Overton, from Chennai Super Kings, were also named in the ODI squad, but their franchises have already been knocked out of contention for the IPL’s knockout stages. 

According to ESPNcricinfo, Overton is unlikely to return to India for the league’s resumption.

While Bethell’s absence is a blow for RCB, their two other English players, Liam Livingstone and Phil Salt, are set to be available for the rest of the IPL after they were dropped from England’s ODI squad. 

Salt has been included for the T20I series which starts on June 6, three days after the IPL final, while Livingstone has been left out entirely.

Meanwhile there are two players in the West Indies ODI squad likely to be affected by the clash of dates: Romario Shepherd (RCB) and Sherfane Rutherford (GT). 

Shamar Joseph is also involved in both the ODI squad and the IPL, though his team, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), are not well-placed to qualify for the playoffs.

Shepherd and Rutherford were both expected to miss West Indies’ ODIs against Ireland from May 21-25, and they will likely be allowed to stay at the IPL until their respective franchises’ seasons are over. 

Meanwhile, three Punjab Kings overseas players – Xavier Bartlett, Azmatullah Omarzai and Mitchell Owen – have confirmed that they will return to play the remainder of IPL 2025.

There is no confirmation yet on whether their other overseas players – Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Josh Inglis, and Aaron Hardie – will return to India. 

Jansen and Inglis were named in South Africa and Australia’s Test squads respectively for the World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord’s from June 11.

Despite all the PBKS overseas players returning home, most of their overseas coaching staff stayed in India, including head coach Ricky Ponting and assistant coaches Brad Haddin and James Hopes. The franchise has asked its players and support staff to reassemble in the next two days.

The IPL released the revised schedule for the remainder of the season on Monday: there are 13 league games to go, in addition to the four playoff fixtures.

The rest of the league phase will be played at six venues – Delhi, Jaipur, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Bengaluru – while the venues for the playoffs have not yet been announced.

The dates for the playoffs are as follows: Qualifier 1 on May 29, the Eliminator on May 30, Qualifier 2 on June 1 and the final on June 3.

Ariana Television Network will meanwhile resume its broadcast of the tournament from Saturday. Fans across Afghanistan can tune in on Ariana Television to watch the matches live. 

Fans can also keep an eye on Ariana News and Ariana Television’s websites and social media pages for the last news, updates and schedules.