The Trans-Afghan railway project, first suggested by Uzbekistan in December 2018, proposes to extend the Afghan rail network from Mazar-e-Sharif to Kabul and then to Paktia province.
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Positive cases of Coronavirus rise to 281 – Afghanistan
(Last Updated On: April 3, 2020)
The Ministry of Public Health announced that the number of positive cases of COVID-19 has jumped to 281, with six deaths in Afghanistan.
The Ministry said that most of the affected individuals were recorded in Herat and Kabul provinces.
According to the latest statistics, 20 new cases were diagnosed in Herat, 14 cases in Kabul, one in Nimroz, one in Ghor and one new case in eastern Nangarhar province.
Out of 281 cases, 204 of them were registered in Herat, 32 cases were recorded in Kabul and the rest were reported in 19 provinces of the country.
It comes as the World Bank donated 100.4 million USD to Afghanistan to fight COVID-19.
The press release of the World Bank said that the fund is donated to Afghanistan to take effective actions to fight Coronavirus and boost the Health structure of Afghanistan.
“This new fast track package will cover all 34 Afghan provinces and reinforce essential health care services to slow down the spread of COVID-19 across Afghanistan and deliver optimum care in the case of a surge in demand for treatment,” the World Bank said.
Meanwhile, Waheedullah Mayar, the MOPH Spokesperson said, “the MOPH appreciates the World Bank’s aids and urges it to make available the fund as soon as possible for the people of Afghanistan.”
President Ashraf Ghani also said that COVID-19 is not only a pandemic, but also a big stroke to the World’s economy, emphasizing that a two-headed government can not overcome the COVID-19 crisis.
In the meantime, the United Nations Aids Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA) in a statement said that one of its employees was tested positive for Coronavirus in Herat.
The UNAMA reiterated its commitment to continue its support to Afghanistan for fighting the COVID-19.
(Last Updated On: May 4, 2024)
The Trans-Afghan railway project is expected to be completed by the end of 2027, Uzbekistan’s Deputy Minister of Transport Jasurbek Choriev said.
“The project will help to connect three countries: Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. The railroad will play an important role in the creation of the Eurasian Transport Corridor. As a result, Central Asian countries will have access to an Indian Ocean port,” he said during the III Tashkent International Investment Forum, Trend news agency reported.
The Uzbek deputy minister noted that the railroad will reduce the delivery time of goods from 35 to 5 days, and the cost of goods delivery will be reduced by at least 40 percent.
(Last Updated On: May 4, 2024)
The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is gravely deteriorating, and a new approach is urgently needed, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said on Friday.
In a statement, IFRC said that without a radical rethink of approaches to humanitarian aid, the root causes of the crisis cannot be tackled sustainably, as time and funding are running out.
“We have been responding with emergency aid in Afghanistan for years now, and it is time for a rethink,” said Alexander Matheou, IFRC Regional Director for Asia Pacific. “We need to focus on Afghan institutions like the Afghan Red Crescent, which have a permanent role in the country. Their capacity is durable and will serve people before and after aid operations. We need to adapt our programming to focus on resilience and economic independence while still showing solidarity and providing assistance after sudden shocks like the Herat earthquake and the current floods.”
He went on to reiterate the IFRC’s call for investment in people.
“With limited access to education and jobs, we need a focus on youth, on professional and vocational training, and other learning opportunities—interventions designed to boost confidence and give hope. Otherwise, the future really does look grim.”
This call comes ahead of a partnership meeting hosted in Doha by the Afghan Red Crescent Society in cooperation with the Qatar Red Crescent Society and attended by participating national societies from Britain, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Norway, Sweden, Singapore, and Türkiye, as well as the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China.
“Communities are lurching from crisis to crisis at a time when their resilience is sub-zero and their coping mechanisms are exhausted. We ask our valued partners to take a long-term view and commit to tackling the root causes of the humanitarian crisis sustainably by investing in Afghan capacity, people, and systems,” said Mutiul Haq Khales, the Acting President of the Afghan Red Crescent Society.
“The needs of over 24 million people are vast and interconnected. Many have been caused by a combination of lingering impacts from decades-long conflict, climate shocks, and a deep economic crisis. The country’s resources are stretched, but capacities exist, and it is important that solutions are implemented to address the root causes of all these overlapping needs,” he added.
(Last Updated On: May 3, 2024)
Afghan Wireless Communication Company (AWCC) has rolled out its telecommunication services in Noor Gul district of Kunar province, becoming first company to launch telecom services in the district.
Noor Gul had been deprived telecommunication services in addition to other basic life facilities.
“Telecommunication services have been launched here for the first time. The population here is very large. Many people will benefit from the services. We are trying to connect this site, which is currently connected to satellite, to Microlink in the near future,” said Attaullah Sahil, head of AWCC in the eastern zone.
The officials of Kunar Directorate of Communications welcomed the AWCC’s move.
“Around 500 families live here. Its population is about 10,000 people. Telecommunication services and facilities are provided for them. We appreciate these AWCC services,” said Abdul Wali Marshall, Kunar’s director of communications.
Jalal al-Din Shams, the spokesperson of Afghanistan Telecom Regulatory Authority (ATRA), stated: “Unfortunately, since the day that telecommunication services have started in Afghanistan, there has not been enough attention to quality. The previous governments did not pay attention to it. Fortunately, a process has started now with which ATRA and the Ministry of Communications can bring about many changes in quality.”
Residents of Noor Gul district, who previously faced many problems due to lack of access to telecommunication services, expressed their satisfaction with the latest move by AWCC.
“There was no telecommunication service here,” said Rozi Khan, a resident of Noor Gul district. “This is the first time that AWCC services have been launched here and we are very happy. We also want 3G and 4G services for more convenience. During 20 years, the government paid no attention to this valley.”
Security officials assure of providing full security.
“There were many problems here due to the lack of telecommunication services. For an ordinary call, people used to pay 300 or 400 afghanis. We assure all telecommunication companies that there is no problem in the area of security,” said Fazlur Rahman Zarqawi, the police commander of Noor Gul district.
With the improvement of security situation in the country after the Islamic Emirate’s takeover, AWCC has launched telecom and internet services in many remote areas.
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