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Paktika earthquake victims claim aid distribution process is unfair
Some of the victims of the recent earthquake in Paktika have said the aid distribution process is unfair and that only a limited amount of aid has reached the intended victims.
Some residents of Gayan district, whose houses were destroyed in the deadly earthquake last month, have called on the government to be transparent in the process.
“With this aid nothing can be done, because I want to rebuild one room which costs 100,000 Afghani but so far even 5,000 Afghanis have not been donated to us, you can’t build a room with 5,000 Afghani,” said Mohammad Hassain, a resident of Gayan district.
Another resident said that cash aid was only being given to victims with contacts.
“No one heard our voice, we visited many times, even today, cash aid came and they were registering it, but it was given only to those who had links, but while our houses were destroyed, no one gave us money,” said Omar Khan, another resident of the district.
A number of other residents of Gayan district say that the people of this district have suffered huge financial losses in addition to the human casualties and that help to rebuild houses is what is needed.
“Gayan district has a very narrow area, but the people who live here are many, and the government should distribute land to the people in Paktika or other provinces, and the high casualties are due to the large number of people in the small area,” said Zafar Khan, a resident of Gayan district.
“Currently, if people are not helped to rebuild their houses, our people do not have the economic capacity to rebuild their houses,” said Daoud Khan Haqmal, another resident of Gayan district.
Officials distributing aid in the area meanwhile acknowledge that there have been some problems but say in order to be transparent they are working with Imams from local mosques and tribal elders to distribute the aid.
“The process is transparent as much as possible, but there are some problems, for example, one or two houses in an area were destroyed and we could not handle it properly, but all the aid is distributed according to the arranged list, and nothing is given to anyone by links, it is given only to those which are listed through Mullah Imam or tribal elders,” said Sayed Hassan, who is responsible for distributing aid to the victims in Gayan district.
Government has said however that it is trying to provide basic assistance to the victims who need to rebuild their houses.
On June 21 a 6.1-magnitude earthquake hit the Spera district in Khost province in eastern Afghanistan. Over 1,000 people were killed and at least 3,000 more were injured while thousands of houses were destroyed across Paktika and Khost provinces.
The most affected districts were Gayan, Barmal, and Ziruk districts in Paktika province and Spera in Khost.
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G7 envoys urge national dialogue for lasting stability in Afghanistan
Special Representatives of the Group of Seven (G7), including the European Union, have emphasized the importance of a national dialogue for achieving long-term stability in Afghanistan.
Following a meeting on Afghanistan in Geneva, Switzerland, G7 special envoys issued a joint statement calling for the restoration of women's rights and urging the Islamic Emirate to fight terrorism.
The statement reads: "Achieving sustainable peace and stability requires credible governance that represents all segments of Afghan society."
The representatives also expressed concern over the IEA’s decision to ban girls from attending medical institutes, warning that it will have devastating consequences for the citizens, particularly mothers and their infants.
The statement described this ban as unacceptable and called on the Afghan authorities to lift it immediately.
Earlier, countries and international organizations had called for the removal of restrictions on the education and employment of women and girls, emphasizing the need for a national dialogue.
In response to these concerns, IEA has repeatedly stated that it will not allow interference in the internal affairs of the country.
The G7 special envoys also expressed their concern about the recent terrorist attacks in Kabul and the surrounding region, warning that terrorism remains a serious threat to Afghanistan's security. They confirmed the actions of the IEA against Daesh but stressed the need for more decisive measures.
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Afghanistan’s bright future lies in educating girls: Karzai
Hamid Karzai, the former president of Afghanistan, says the demand of Afghan girls for the reopening of schools and universities is their fundamental right and adds that Afghanistan cannot have a bright future without ensuring access to education for girls.
In a statement on his X (formerly Twitter) account, Karzai said: "The demand and voice of our country’s girls for education and knowledge is a rightful one and crucial for a prosperous Afghanistan."
He further emphasized, "Empowering the youth—both girls and boys—is the only way to achieve self-reliance, break the cycle of poverty, and drive the development and prosperity of society."
Karzai underscored that education is vital for Afghanistan’s growth and development, expressing hope that the doors of schools and universities for girls will be reopened as soon as possible.
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IEA to set up special courts to address pensions
Mawlawi Hebatullah Akhundzada, the supreme leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), has issued a decree to establish special courts to address pensions, Bakhtar news agency reported on Saturday.
According to the decree, the courts must confirm and process pensions in accordance with Sharia and law.
Pensioners have repeatedly voiced concern over delay in payment, saying that their financial challenges are growing.
Earlier this year, IEA's supreme leader banned money being deducted from salaries of government employees for pensions.
He also requested information on the tenure of employees and the total amount deducted from salaries for pensions.
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