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Japan and WHO strengthen partnership to improve health care in Afghanistan

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A delegation from the World Health Organization (WHO) in Afghanistan, led by Dr Luo Dapeng, recently visited Japan to discuss strategic directions for the ongoing partnership. The visit coincided with the signing ceremony for a $6.9 million joint project with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which aims to enhance the response capacity for infectious diseases in referral hospitals in Afghanistan.

The joint project, which seeks to address and mitigate the impact of communicable diseases on the people of Afghanistan, is set to benefit more than 76,000 people across the country. The project has a specific focus on two health facilities dedicated to the treatment of infectious diseases: Afghan–Japan Hospital and the National Infectious Disease Hospital, both in Kabul province.

Kiyoshi Amada, Chief Representative of JICA, expressed his optimism for the project’s impact.

“I sincerely hope that this project will keep the people, including mothers, children and others, healthier and save their lives to contribute to human security in Afghanistan.”
The WHO delegation also engaged in a series of meetings with directors of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and Takayoshi Kuromiya, Ambassador of Japan to Afghanistan. The discussions centred on new funding of $500,000 given by Japan to support WHO’s work in Afghanistan.
This funding is dedicated to reducing morbidity and mortality due to communicable diseases among the Afghan population, with a focus on children aged under 5 years.

Dapeng meanwhile highlighted Japan’s pivotal role in supporting the health system in Afghanistan: “Japan has a long history of cooperation in the fight against infectious diseases in Afghanistan. As one of the major partners, Japan has been working with Afghan health professionals to improve health care delivery and to develop Afghanistan’s human resources within the health sector.”

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Suhail Shaheen meets with Chinese ambassador to Qatar

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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

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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

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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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