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UN chief: Liquidity needed to stem humanitarian crisis
The international community must find ways to inject cash directly into Afghanistan's economy to avert its total collapse as a growing humanitarian crisis impacts half the population, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Monday.
Speaking to reporters at U.N. headquarters, Guterres' comments underscored the urgent need for steps to ease the economic and humanitarian crises that have grown since the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) took power as the 20-year U.S. military intervention ended.
"The crisis is affecting at least 18 million people - half the country's population," said Guterres, adding that a massive U.N. humanitarian aid operation is underway in a "race against time" as winter approaches.
Guterres noted that the Afghan economy - kept afloat by foreign aid for two decades - was being buffeted by drought and COVID-19 before the IEA seized power.
"I urge the world to take action and inject liquidity into the Afghan economy to avoid collapse," he said, explaining that any measures should avoid channeling cash through the IEA.
They also should be taken independent of diplomatic decisions to recognize the new government, he said.
The IEA takeover saw billions in central bank assets frozen and international financial institutions suspend access to funds, although humanitarian aid has continued.
Banks are running out of money, civil servants have not been paid and food prices have soared.
One way to inject liquidity into the economy, he said, is for U.N. agencies and humanitarian groups to make cash payments directly to people, he said, adding the World Bank could create a special trust fund from which money could be drawn.
But, he said, "The main responsibility for finding a way back from the abyss lies" with the IEA.
Ali Reza Begdeli, Iran's former deputy foreign minister for consular affairs, has been appointed as the country's new ambassador to Kabul, Mehr news agency reported on Sunday.
The outlet added that the post of the Iranian presidential special representative in Afghanistan has been removed and, as before, the special representative for Afghanistan will act directly under the supervision of the foreign minister.
It is worth mentioning that Hassan Kazemi Qomi previously served as Iran's ambassador and presidential special representative in Afghanistan.
The 28th meeting of the foreign ministers of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) member states will be held in Iran’s northeastern city of Mashhad next week.
Spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry Esmaeil Baqaei said on Sunday that the upcoming meeting will be attended by the ministers and senior officials of ECO, directors of the regional specialized departments of the organization, and the secretaries general of a number of multilateral economic organizations.
The meeting will be chaired by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, Iranian local media reported.
Iran is holding the rotating presidency of ECO in 2024.
The Tehran-headquartered ECO was established by Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey in 1985.
The main purpose of the organization is to promote economic, technical, and cultural cooperation among the member states.
In 1992, the organization was expanded to include seven new members, namely Afghanistan, Republic of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
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Daesh claims responsibility for Baghlan attack
A provincial police official, said that several people were arrested in connection with the incident, and that an investigation has been launched.
The Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K), also known as Daesh, has claimed responsibility for a gun attack that left 10 people dead at a Sufi shrine in northern Baghlan province.
The interior ministry spokesman Abdul Matin Qani confirmed that a gunman opened fire on Sufis taking part in a weekly ritual at the Sayed Pasha Agha shrine in a remote area of Nahrin district.
Abdul Ghayoor Khadim, a provincial police official, said that several people were arrested in connection with the incident, and that an investigation has been launched.
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