The United States has closed its Consulate General in Peshawar and transferred responsibility for diplomatic engagement with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Unit (KPU) at the US Embassy in Islamabad.

In a statement posted on X, the US Consulate General in Peshawar said its official page was no longer active following the closure.

The statement said information about ongoing diplomatic efforts, including initiatives to promote trade and commercial ties, strengthen security cooperation, and build partnerships with the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and across Pakistan, would continue to be available through the US Embassy’s official website.

According to reports, the decision is part of a broader effort by the Donald Trump administration to reduce costs and downsize federal agencies.

Separately, France has announced that it will permanently close its consulate in Pakistan’s Karachi city due to budgetary reasons and as part of a broader policy to reduce its global presence.

The European Union has welcomed the appointment of Rabab Fatima as the new Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Afghanistan, saying it looks forward to working with her on issues related to the country.

“The EU looks forward to working with her in Kabul and international fora, including future steps for the ‘Doha process’,” Anouar El Anouni said in a post on X on Friday.

He added that “the world must not forget Afghanistan,” emphasizing the need for continued international engagement with the country.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Rabab Fatima of Bangladesh as his new Special Representative for Afghanistan and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

According to a statement issued by the UN spokesperson’s office on Wednesday, Fatima will succeed Roza Otunbayeva of Kyrgyzstan, who has led the mission in Afghanistan in recent years.

The European Union Delegation to the United Nations in Geneva has hosted a meeting on Afghanistan, reaffirming its commitment to supporting the Afghan people amid what it described as one of the world’s largest and most complex humanitarian crises.

In a post on X, the delegation said EU Ambassador Deike Potzel held talks with UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Barham Salih, following the latter’s recent visit to Afghanistan.

“EU continues to stand with the Afghan people, provides life-saving assistance and supports Afghan women’s rights,” the delegation said.

The EU has been one of the largest humanitarian donors to Afghanistan, funding emergency assistance through United Nations agencies and humanitarian organizations. The bloc has repeatedly called for continued humanitarian access and the protection of the rights of Afghan women and girls while maintaining support for vulnerable communities across the country.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, more than 10.7 million women and girls are expected to require humanitarian assistance this year, making them among the populations most severely affected by the country’s prolonged humanitarian crisis.