The United Nations’ top humanitarian official in Afghanistan has warned that prolonged drought and the effects of climate change are placing increasing pressure on communities in Bamyan province, while calling for greater international support to address the region’s growing needs.

During a visit to Bamyan, Bruno Lemarquis, the Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan, praised the resilience of the province’s residents but said they continue to face significant humanitarian and development challenges.

Lemarquis said effective water resource management remains one of Bamyan’s most pressing priorities as recurring drought and changing climate patterns continue to affect livelihoods, agriculture and access to clean water.

He also identified access to education for both girls and boys, healthcare services, and support for Afghans returning from Pakistan and Iran as key issues requiring sustained attention.

In addition, Lemarquis said Bamyan’s infrastructure remains underdeveloped and is insufficient to meet the needs of the province’s growing population. He stressed that improvements to roads, public services and essential facilities are critical to supporting long-term development.

Bamyan, one of Afghanistan’s central highland provinces, has been among the areas hardest hit by years of drought, with many rural communities relying on agriculture and livestock that have been affected by declining water supplies and changing weather patterns.

Lemarquis urged the international community not to lose sight of Afghanistan’s humanitarian and development needs, saying continued international assistance is essential to implement long-term development projects in Bamyan and across the country while helping vulnerable communities adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai has called for greater efforts to tackle child malnutrition, saying access to education for both girls and boys is essential to preventing the growing crisis.

In a post on X on Wednesday, Karzai cited a recent UNICEF report warning that about 3.7 million children under the age of five in Afghanistan are at increasing risk of malnutrition. He urged the relevant authorities and international organizations to take serious and comprehensive measures to curb the crisis and protect children’s health.

Karzai said safeguarding children’s health, as the country’s future human capital, requires coordinated action by responsible institutions and international partners.

He also said providing education for all children and young people, regardless of gender, is a fundamental condition for preventing malnutrition. Expanding access to education and developing a skilled workforce, he added, would help reduce the effects of illiteracy, improve

Afghanistan’s economy, and enable the country to meet its needs without relying on foreign assistance.

Afghanistan and Iran have emphasized the need to strengthen technical cooperation, standardization and quality control of goods in an effort to improve trade relations between the two neighboring countries.

The Afghanistan National Standards Authority said Abdullah Bashir, Director General of the authority, discussed the importance of improving import and export standards during a meeting with Iran’s Ambassador to Kabul, Alireza Bigdeli.

Bashir said ensuring compliance with required standards by traders from both countries would not only improve the quality of products but also help protect consumer health, rights and interests.

During the meeting, Bigdeli highlighted the longstanding relations between Afghanistan and Iran, describing the two countries as neighbors with extensive trade ties. He said Iran’s National Standards Organization is ready to cooperate with Afghanistan in areas including technical knowledge transfer, standardization and professional capacity building.

The Iranian ambassador also invited the head of Afghanistan’s National Standards Authority to visit Iran and tour the country’s standards organization.

Both sides stressed the continuation of constructive engagement, expansion of specialized cooperation and the use of existing opportunities to strengthen trade ties and improve quality standards between Afghanistan and Iran.