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Helmand farmers concerned about lack of water

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A number of farmers around Kajaki Dam in Helmand province say their agricultural land and gardens are drying up due to the lack of water.

The farmers have called on the government to manage the Helmand River water so that water reaches their fields.

“We are facing a water shortage. We are in dire need of water and we use a water pump. While the water is not enough for us, how can we give water to Iran?” asked Abdul Jabbar, a farmer in Helmand.

“We can give water to Iran only if our water increases or if our dam stores enough water to meet our needs,” Shah Wali, another farmer in Helmand, said.

This comes after Iran’s warnings last month about the lack of water from the Helmand River feeding into Iran. They accused the Islamic Emirate of blocking the water flow and of violating a 1973 water treaty.

The Islamic Emirate has repeatedly said it is committed to the treaty but that there is not enough water to supply Iran.

"According to the 1973 treaty, we have given the Islamic Republic of Iran its share of water from the Helmand River, and we are committed to the treaty in the future. The regular meetings of the commissaries of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran are held as usual. These issues will be discussed in a friendly atmosphere and the normal and abnormal water year will be determined,” Matiullah Abid, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Energy and Water, said.

The complaints of farmers in Helmand province about the lack of water suggest that climate change has had a negative impact on Afghanistan, therefore experts say that it is the responsibility of governments to address people's concerns by formulating long-term plans.

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IEA delegation attends conference for ‘Promoting Mining Cooperation’ in China

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The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum said on Saturday in a statement that its delegation participated in a conference titled "Promoting Mining Cooperation" in China’s Hunan province.

The Ministry stated the conference aims to build a well-equipped laboratory in Afghanistan, increase the capacity of technical and professional employees of the Ministry of Mines, and encourage investors in the mineral resources sector of Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, Chinese investors expressed their interest in Afghanistan’s gold, copper, mica, talc, oil, gas, lithium, lead and zinc mines.

At the conference, the ministry’s deputy minister of finance and administration and head of the delegation Hussamuddin Saberi talked about Afghanistan's natural resources contracts and investment opportunities and considered holding such programs effective for the relations between the two countries.

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Uzbekistan, EU envoys meet to discuss Afghanistan

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Uzbekistan’s special representative for Afghanistan, Ismatulla Irgashev, on Friday met with the EU Special Representative for Central Asia Terhi Hakala.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the current state and prospects of Uzbek-European relations in the Afghan direction, the efforts of the international community to prevent a humanitarian crisis in the country and the possibility of using the international transport and logistics hub in Termez to deliver humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, Uzbekistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

Hakala highly appreciated the efforts of Uzbekistan to develop a consolidated regional position on Afghanistan, establish long-term peace and stability in the country, according to the statement.

The parties expressed mutual interest in continuing bilateral consultations on the Afghan issue, the statement added.

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UN expert calls for comprehensive, rights-focused action plan for Afghanistan

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A UN expert on Friday called on the international community to devise and implement a comprehensive, human rights-centered action plan to address the human rights crisis in Afghanistan.

“The absence of a unified, forceful response from the international community has emboldened the Taliban (IEA),” UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, said.

In his latest report to the UN General Assembly, Bennett said that the human rights situation in Afghanistan is worsening, which includes systematic gender oppression, amounting to gender persecution and which many Afghans term “gender apartheid” with intergenerational implications.

Bennett expressed concern about the new “vice and virtue” law, announced in August, which he believes has institutionalized an expanding list of restrictions that “blatantly violate the rights of women and girls.”

He also expressed concern about the “shrinking civic space” in Afghanistan, the situation of minorities, journalists, and former government officials and security personnel.

“Justice, equality, and the rule of law are being systematically undermined,” he said.

The UN expert also called for increased funding and support for Afghan civil society and humanitarian efforts to mitigate the crisis.

Bennett urged the IEA to reverse its “repressive policies” and reinstate basic human rights. He pressed the international community to take a coordinated, multifaceted approach to support the Afghan people.

Bennett urged states not to normalize relations with the IEA until there are demonstrable human rights improvements and pathways to justice and accountability.

This comes as the Islamic Emirate has said that it is committed to ensuring human rights, including the rights of women and girls, according to Sharia, and this is an internal issue of Afghanistan.

The Islamic Emirate has banned Richard Bennett from traveling to Afghanistan, saying that he exaggerates small issues.

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