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Earthquake victims in Herat complain of slow aid delivery
Devastated by the recent earthquakes in Herat province, some families have complained that aid is being delivered slowly and distributed unfairly.
Thousands of earthquake victims are living in tents, with limited heating, despite fast dropping temperatures.
Noor Ahmed, a man who lost 10 members of his family in Zinda Jan district, said he was so grief-stricken he wishes he had also died.
"We are drowning. We do not understand what we are doing or what we need. I lost 10 family members. I cannot say what I need. I am so sad and distressed that I wish I had died too,” he said.
Eid Mohammad, another victim, said: "We don't have fuel at all. We need gas etc. Flour and rice that is distributed can not be eaten raw. There should be gas for us to use.”
Aid delivery has slowed recently compared to the early days. The affected families need tents, warm clothes, food and cooking resources.
"We feel very cold. We are four families in one tent. It is very small. We have nothing. We shiver from the cold from night till morning,” Jamila, a victim, said.
“Aid including food has been delivered to us. They distributed tents. We need water,” Lal Mohammad, another victim, said.
Most of the items distributed so far have been winter clothes, food including rice and cooking oil and tents.
"Thank God the problems have been solved to a large extent. The tents have been delivered. Relief materials have arrived for the people. Those who donate cash, we will deliver to the areas that need it,” Abdulsalam Hijrat, an aid distributor, said.
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Suhail Shaheen meets with Chinese ambassador to Qatar
The head of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s (IEA) political office in Doha, Suhail Shaheen, met with China’s ambassador to Qatar late Monday for talks on bilateral relations, good neighborliness, and trade and investment opportunities between the two countries.
“About the Wakhan road, the export of Afghanistan's fresh fruit to China, the reconstruction of cold stores, China's assistance in the field of medical equipment to the Ministry of Health and good neighborliness between the two countries were discussed,” Shaheen said in a voice message.
China and the Islamic Emirate have been rapidly expanding relations in recent months.
Experts, meanwhile, have said that other countries need to engage with the IEA, as China is doing, in order for Afghanistan to come out of isolation.
Shaheen also met with Katharina Ritz, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation to Afghanistan.
He discussed numerous issues including humanitarian assistance, health sector challenges and climate change.
Both sides emphasized that ICRC activities need to be expanded, considering the needs of the people.
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IFRC reports over half of Afghanistan’s population needs urgent humanitarian aid
Afghanistan ranks among the most vulnerable countries globally to climate change and disaster risks
The International Federation of Red Crescent (IFRC) has reported that Afghanistan continues to face prolonged and complex humanitarian crises.
IFRC said in a report published on Tuesday, that about 23.7 million people, more than half of Afghanistan’s population, are in urgent need of humanitarian aid.
According to the IFRC, natural disasters, the growing impact of climate change, population displacement, economic challenges, and food insecurity are the main factors contributing to Afghanistan’s ongoing humanitarian crisis.
Afghanistan ranks among the most vulnerable countries globally to climate change and disaster risks.
The country is also prone to earthquakes, with nearly 400 tremors recorded in the last three years, including significant quakes, such as the 6.3 magnitude in Herat Province in October last year.
The compounding effects of disasters in the country have exacerbated the already fragile situation in Afghanistan, the IFRC’s report read.
These successive disasters have pushed more Afghans into poverty and heightened their vulnerability.
In addition, Afghanistan’s economic crisis is widespread, with more than half of households experiencing an economic shock.
The country’s economy is heavily dependent on foreign aid and remittances, which have declined significantly since the political change in 2021.
This has resulted in high levels of unemployment, challenging people’s coping mechanisms and thwarting the already fragile economy’s ability to adapt to shocks, the report read.
The IFRC said more than 85 percent of the country’s population is now living below the poverty line.
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Maldives recalls envoy to Pakistan over meeting with Afghanistan envoy
The island nation’s foreign ministry said the much publicized meeting had not been sanctioned by the government
The Maldives government has recalled its top diplomat in Pakistan after he had an unauthorized meeting with an Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan envoy in Islamabad.
The island nation’s foreign ministry said the much publicized meeting between the Maldives High Commissioner Mohamed Thoha and IEA envoy Sardar Ahmad Shakeeb on Friday had not been sanctioned by the government.
Maldives media reported that the foreign ministry stated: “Consequently, appropriate action has been taken by the government of Maldives.”
Thoha’s name has also been removed from the website of the Maldives mission in Islamabad, and an official source told AFP that he had been recalled.
Since regained control of Afghanistan in August 2021, no country has yet officially recognized the government.
However, the IEA has been making inroads into the diplomatic arena and has official missions now stationed in a number of regional countries.
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