Why is Russia Striving to Remove the Taliban from the List of Terrorist Organizations?
8am: Russians believe that the Taliban group is a more reliable ally than the West in the fight against ISIS. This perception stems from decades of geopolitical competition between Russia and Western countries and a longstanding game initiated by America, using Islamist hardline groups to undermine its global rivals, especially the former Soviet Union. The continuation of this rivalry, even after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, has led to such distrust between the two sides that now Russians consider the Taliban a more trustworthy partner than the West in the “war on terror” and, therefore, seek to engage more with this group. Click here to read more (external link).
Month of Ramadan: Escalating Presence of Beggars in Cities
8am: The Taliban regime in the past one or two years has attempted to gather beggars and prevent their roaming in the streets and markets. However, the main issue is that without addressing the root cause of the problem, it is impossible to combat this social issue through coercion and force. Currently, poverty and destitution have become pervasive and distressing, affecting the lives of many individuals, from seventy-year-old men to seven-year-old children. Without tackling poverty, it is impossible to address the phenomenon of begging and find a solution. Click here to read more (external link).
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UN sounds alarm on shortage of Afghan humanitarian aid
Ayaz Gul
VOA News
April 3, 2024
ISLAMABAD — The United Nations has warned that delivering life-saving aid to millions of people in Afghanistan could be “severely impeded” as donors have given only 6% of the humanitarian funding appeal for 2024.
Indrika Ratwatte, the humanitarian coordinator for the impoverished country, has urged the international community to redouble its commitment and increase financial support for the Afghan people.
According to a U.N. statement released on Tuesday, Ratwatte expressed “deep concern” over the current funding levels and noted that the U.N. had secured just $290 million of the $3.06 billion requirements.
“Such a significant gap between existing needs and available funding will severely impede the delivery of life-saving assistance,” the statement said.
U.N. agencies estimate that more than half of the population in Afghanistan needs humanitarian assistance, citing frequent natural disasters and years of war. They caution that the lack of donor funding is aggravating one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.
The return of the fundamentalist Taliban to power in 2021 has compounded challenges facing humanitarian operations in the country.
De facto Afghan authorities have banned many women from public and private workplaces, including the United Nations, and forbidden teenage girls from attending schools beyond the sixth grade.
The Taliban have rejected persistent international calls to reverse curbs on women, saying their governance is aligned with Afghan culture and Islamic principles.
Critics blame Taliban restrictions for contributing to the humanitarian crisis and discouraging foreign donors.
The World Food Program stopped food assistance for 10 million Afghans in 2023 because of a massive funding shortfall.
The Taliban have dismissed claims their misogynistic policies are jeopardizing the flow of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, alleging donors are politicizing the aid.
“We don’t need their assistance. Spare us from their [foreigners’] harm,” Taliban chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told a recent social media-hosted seminar.
Tolo News in Dari – April 3, 2024
One in 10 Afghan children under five malnourished, 45 percent stunted: UN
Al Jazeera: Poor nutrition is rife in a country plagued by economic, humanitarian and climate crises two and a half years since the Taliban returned to power. Ten percent of children under five in Afghanistan are malnourished and 45 percent are stunted, meaning they are small for their age in part due to poor nutrition, according to the United Nations. Afghanistan has one of the world’s highest rates of stunting in children under five, said Daniel Timme, communications chief for UNICEF. “If not detected and treated within the first two years of a child’s life, the condition [stunting] becomes irreversible, and the affected child will never be able to develop mentally and physically to its full potential,” he said. Click here to read more (external link).
The Final Nail in the Coffin of Parties: Merely Mentioning a Party Now Declared a Crime
8am: Abdul Hakim Shar’ee, the acting head of the Taliban-controlled Ministry of Justice, stated that “there is no place for parties in the regime of this group, and mentioning a party name is a crime.” He made these remarks two days ago at a meeting in Kabul, referring to recent tensions between the Taliban and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the leader of the Islamic Party. This comes as, following the fall of the previous government to the Taliban, dozens of political movements and their key members have left Afghanistan due to fear of the Taliban. Of the 72 political parties registered in the previous government’s Ministry of Justice, currently, no party is active in Afghanistan, and the Taliban do not allow any political or civil activities in the country. Click here to read more (external link).
The Return of ISIS to the Scene of Events: How Taliban Facilitate Terrorism Growth?
A still taken from an undated video shows Hafiz Saeed (center), the founder of IS-K, at an undisclosed location at the Afghanistan-Pakistani border in January 2015.
8am: In recent months, global concerns about the strengthening of the ISIS group have intensified. ISIS Khorasan branch has expanded its activities in the region in recent months. It can be said that ISIS Khorasan has never been as powerful as it is now. The expansion of this branch’s operational field and the increase in its attacks indicate the strengthening of this group. Afghanistan and Pakistan, as the main centers of this group’s activity, have been more than ever in the crosshairs of ISIS Khorasan in the past year. This group has also carried out major and complex attacks in Iran and Russia, demonstrating its unprecedented capacity to launch cross-border attacks. Middle Eastern countries are also heavily threatened by this group. Click here to read more (external link).
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Tolo News in Dari – April 2, 2024
Russia planning to remove Taliban from terrorist list
Ariana: Russia is considering removing the Islamic Emirate [Taliban] from Moscow’s list of terrorist organizations, but the final decision must be made by the country’s top political leadership. The IEA [Taliban] was recognized in Russia as a terrorist organization in 2003, after it was included in the UN Security Council’s list. Russia has discussed the removal of this status before: in 2020, Kabulov said that this could happen after the UN Security Council made a similar decision. Click here to read more (external link).