8am: The new ranking of the Henley Passport Index shows that the Afghan passport is still the world’s least powerful passport. The Henley Passport Index, which measures the world’s most travel-friendly passports from time to time based on data received from the International Air Transport Authority (IATA), has released its report for 2022. Japan has the world’s most powerful passport as its citizens can travel to 191 countries around the world visa-free or visa on arrival. Click here to read more (external link).
UN Envoy Otunbaeva Meets With Taliban Officials To Discuss Aid, Girls’ Education
Roza Otunbaeva
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
October 16, 2022
The United Nations’ new special representative for Afghanistan Roza Otunbaeva has met with high-ranked officials of the Taliban-led government to discuss a “broad range of issues, including international assistance, drug abuse, and the importance of girls’ education,” the UN said on October 16.
According to the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), during her visit to Kabul, Otunbaeva held separate meetings with Taliban acting Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi and acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, among others.
The two sides “agreed close cooperation to address pressing issues faced” by the people of Afghanistan, the UNAMA said in a series of tweets.
Afghan media quoted a Taliban Foreign Ministry spokesman as saying the ministry told the envoy “that now is the time for Afghanistan and the world to come closer together and understand each other’s priorities, conditions, and requests, and the UNAMA can achieve this well.”
Since returning to power in August 2021 following the withdrawal of U.S. forces, the hard-line Taliban has barred girls from attending secondary school and prohibited women from many government jobs.
No country has yet officially recognized the Taliban as Afghanistan’s government. Much of the international community has made the reopening of secondary schools for girls one of the key conditions for formally recognizing the Taliban-led government.
Formerly a president of Kyrgyzstan, Otunbaeva was named the head of UNAMA last month, replacing Deborah Lyons, who stepped down in mid-June.
With reporting by Tolo News
Copyright (c) 2022. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.
Related
Taliban Establishes Commission to Investigate Cases of Those Arrested in Panjshir Clashes
8am: The Taliban regime has announced the establishment of a commission to investigate the cases of civilians who were arrested during the clashes in Panjshir province. The National Resistance Front (NRF) had earlier declared that the Taliban group has arrested and imprisoned at least 5,400 residents of Panjshir province since it returned to power in late August. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News in Dari – October 16, 2022
Hanafi: Less Rain in North and West Due to Climate Change
Tolo News: Several officials of the Islamic Emirate [Taliban] expressed their concerns at the Global Climate Change Week meeting about the negative impacts of climate change on the country. Abdul Salam Hanafi, the second deputy to the prime minister, said during a gathering marking Global Climate Change Week that people have been hurt by floods and that rainfall has been reduced due to climate change in the west, north, and northwest of the country. Click here to read more (external link).
Related
Protesters Around the World Demand to “Stop Hazara Genocide”
8am: Following the protests against the terrorist attack on the “Kaaj Educational Center in west Kabul, Afghan citizens have been staged protests in several cities around the world chanting the slogan “Stop Hazara Genocide”. Hundreds of people on Sunday, October 16 gathered in the cities of Lyon and Lille in France, Strasbourg in Germany, Glasgow in Scotland, Vienna in Austria, Amsterdam in Holland, Seoul in South Korea, Kayseri in Turkey and in America. Click here to read more (external link).
Former National Security Advisor Discusses Situation in Afghanistan with Resistance Leader
Hamdullah Mohib
Khaama: The National Security Advisor of the former Afghan government, Hamdulalh Mohib, stated that he spoke with Ahmad Masoud, the National Resistance Front leader about matters revolving around the return of democracy and the republican system. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News in Dari – October 15, 2022
Putin accuses West of fueling anti-IEA formations
Putin
Ariana: “Western intelligence services, primarily American and British, are fueling the formations opposing the Taliban (IEA), aiming them at shelling the borders of some of our countries,” Putin said speaking at the first ever summit in the Russia-Central Asia format. Putin further said that it is in the interests of the Central Asian countries to prevent a relapse of the civil war in Afghanistan. Click here to read more (external link).
Related
Global Hunger Index Report, Afghanistan Falls Down Six Ranks
8am: The scores of the global hunger index are given based on the indicators of malnutrition, child stunting, and mortality, and the score of these indicators is calculated on a 100-point scale. Based on this report, 29.8% of Afghan people suffer from malnutrition and 5.8% of children die younger than the age of five, and 38.2% of children under the age of five suffer from short stature. Click here to read more (external link).