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World Bank approves $97 million grant to increase food security
The World Bank has approved a grant of $97.50 million, from the International Development Association (IDA), to provide regular and predictable cash support to Afghans affected by drought and COVID-19 and improve food and nutrition security.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the World Bank stated that the grant will also help build Afghanistan’s drought early warning and response systems.
“The grant will help finance the Drought Early Warning, Early Finance, and Early Action Project (ENETAWF),” the statement said.
According to the statement, the project will complement regular humanitarian relief efforts and provide unconditional cash support and cash-for-work benefits to about 2.2 million Afghans in the 78 districts most affected by food insecurity and drought.
“The project will provide regular targeted financial assistance to households to build resilience and scale-up support across the country before and during droughts. It will also support the Government of Afghanistan to deliver critical weather, water, and climate information services, disseminate early warnings, and strengthen disaster preparedness within communities,” the statement read.
“The IDA grant complements grants of $115 million from the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund, a multi-donor trust fund managed by the World Bank on behalf of 34 donors, plus $8 million from the Global Risk Financing Facility, and $2 million from the program for Asia Resilience to Climate Change Multi-donor Trust Fund.”
“Afghanistan is one of the countries most affected and vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters, and its weak response system has further contributed to this vulnerability,” said Henry Kerali, World Bank Country Director for Afghanistan.
“This new financial assistance will help the Government of Afghanistan lessen drought impacts that have displaced millions of Afghans and pushed them into poverty. The project’s support to Afghan rural households will contribute to overall poverty reduction and economic recovery,” Kerali added.
The organization stated that Afghanistan is highly vulnerable to intense and recurring droughts, which further undermine its growth and stability.
“Natural disasters have spurred displacement, poverty, and food insecurity among rural Afghans, which the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated. Rural households, dependent on subsistence agriculture in drought-prone, rainfed areas, are especially vulnerable to food and nutrition insecurity,” the World Bank said.
The World Bank noted that the project will be implemented by the Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development, under which the National Emergency Operations Center in the disaster management agency will be strengthened.
“In addition, a Disaster Risk Management Resource Center will be established at the ministry.”
“In line with the World Bank Group’s institutional strategy on Fragility, Conflict, and Violence, the investments outlined in this project will seek to mitigate drivers of fragility by addressing some of its root causes and it will seek to strengthen the institutions necessary to transition the country out of fragility,” the statement concluded.
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Islamic Emirate’s army now self-sufficient, says chief of army staff
Mohammad Fasihuddin Fitrat, Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces, says that over the past four years, the army forces of the Islamic Emirate have shown no hesitation in defending and protecting Afghanistan, and that today the country’s army is standing on its own feet.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Defense, Fitrat made these remarks at a meeting with media representatives, political analysts, and a number of government officials aimed at coordination and strengthening cooperation. He added: “Nations that cannot stand on their own feet and rely on others, even if they grow, will not be capable of achieving real progress.”
Fitrat also expressed appreciation for the role of the media in ensuring security and in supporting the country’s defense forces, stating: “We and you, as citizens of this land, must put our hands together and build the country together, take pride in our forces, and strive with all our strength for the country’s development. We have created an army that defends honor, territorial integrity, and the borders of the country, and serves as the guardian of our freedom.”
He emphasized that the Islamic Emirate is working to establish an army equipped with modern weapons so that it can defend the country’s territory under all circumstances.
He stated that the country’s army has proven to the people that anyone who looks at this land with ill intent will face a firm and courageous response, and that it has also been made clear to neighboring countries that any aggression against Afghanistan will be met with a response several times stronger.
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Afghan health minister attends second WHO summit in India
Noor Jalal Jalali, the Minister of Public Health of the Islamic Emirate, participated in the second World Health Organization meeting on traditional medicine during his official visit to India.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Ministry of Public Health said that the meeting was held in India with the participation of representatives from around 100 countries, health ministers from 23 countries, professional experts from various nations, and officials from different departments of the World Health Organization.
During the meeting, discussions were held on the standardization of traditional medicine, training of individuals active in this field, recognition of traditional medicine as an established reality, and the sharing of countries’ experiences in this area.
The ministry stated that the purpose of participating in the conference was to standardize traditional medicine in Afghanistan, adding that for several decades this sector has been practiced in a non-standard manner and without a defined curriculum or clear principles.
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Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan boost trade and digital finance ties
Minister Sydykov, in turn, pledged the continuation of Kyrgyzstan’s humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and highlighted his country’s interest in working together on e-governance initiatives.
Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs, Abdul Salam Hanafi, has met with a high-level Kyrgyz delegation led by Minister of Economy and Commerce Bakhyt Sydykov to discuss expanding bilateral trade and strengthening cooperation in digital financial services.
During the meeting, Hanafi reaffirmed Afghanistan’s readiness to deepen ties with Kyrgyzstan, stressing the importance of developing electronic administration systems and modern banking channels to facilitate trade and financial transactions between the two countries.
Minister Sydykov, in turn, pledged the continuation of Kyrgyzstan’s humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and highlighted his country’s interest in working together on e-governance initiatives. He also pointed to potential cooperation in areas such as the printing of securities and the development of electronic payment systems.
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