Afghan Refugees Begin Arriving In Italy Through Humanitarian Corridor

·

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
July 26, 2022

The first of three groups of Afghan refugees that will comprise a total of some 300 people have arrived in Rome using a fresh humanitarian corridor established by the Italian government, charities, and international organizations.

The humanitarian corridor aims to give “additional refugees and persecuted Afghans the possibility of a future in dignity and security” following the withdrawal of the U.S.-led international troops in August last year and the Taliban’s returning to power, the ministry said.

A first group of nine people arrived in Rome from Tehran on July 25 to be followed by a larger second group of more than 200 Afghans due to arrive from Pakistan on July 27. The third group will reportedly fly from Tehran to Italy on July 28.

The 300 refugees arriving this week are part of an expected total of 1,200 Afghan refugees from Iran, Pakistan, and other neighboring countries, the ministry said, adding that women and children will have priority.

The UN refugee agency and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) were also involved in organizing the corridor along with charities including the Community of Sant’Egidio and Caritas.

Thousands of Afghans were evacuated after the fall of Kabul, but many who risked Taliban retribution were left behind.

Italy has been trying for several years to arrange humanitarian corridors as an alternative for illegal migration for those fleeing conflict, persecution, or other threatening situations.

However, the numbers of those being able to use such corridors are small compared to the tens of thousands of people who resort to smugglers to reach Europe.

The UN refugee agency said that 3,280 Afghan refugees arrived in Italy this year alone by the perilous Mediterranean Sea smuggling route that has caused tens of thousands of deaths.

With reporting by AP

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.

US and Taliban make progress on Afghan reserves

·

Ariana: US and Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) [Taliban] officials have exchanged proposals for the release of billions of dollars from Afghan central bank reserves held abroad into a trust fund, three sources familiar with the talks told Reuters. Some $9 billion in reserves have been held outside Afghanistan, including $7 billion in the US.  Click here to read more (external link).

UN Urges Support for Afghan Women’s Rights Activists

·

Margaret Besheer
VOA News
July 25, 2022

The U.N. Women’s agency representative in Afghanistan said Monday that the rollback on women’s rights in that country is an “alarm bell” to the world that shows how decades of progress can be wiped away in months.

“Anywhere in the world, the act of walking outside your front door is an ordinary part of life,” said Alison Davidian, deputy country representative for U.N. Women in Afghanistan. “But for many Afghan women, it is an act that is extraordinary. It is an act of resistance.”

Davidian spoke to reporters at U.N. headquarters in New York via a video link from Kabul.

Her remarks come as more than 20 countries and international organizations meet with Taliban officials in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent. The Taliban are preparing to mark a year since they seized power after Ashraf Ghani’s government collapsed, and he fled the country last August.

Since coming to power, the group has reneged on pledges not to restrict women’s rights, increasingly cracking down on how they dress, on their ability to hold jobs outside the home, get an education, move freely or participate in political life.

“Combined, these restrictions limit the ability of women to earn a living, to access health and education, to escape situations of violence and to exercise their rights,” Davidian said.

She said the many Afghan women she has met have told her they will not give up, and she urged countries to support civil society and empower women’s rights groups in the country.

“Invest in women. Invest in services for women, jobs for women. Invest in women-led businesses, in women leaders and human rights organizations,” she said.

Davidian emphasized that the full participation of women in Afghan society is a key to helping the country emerge from its current financial and economic crisis. She noted that some data project the loss of women’s employment could deprive the economy of up to $1 billion or 5% of GDP.

She said that while Afghanistan is not the only country in the world where women’s rights have been rolled back, the situation is an “alarm bell.”

“What is happening in Afghanistan is a clarion call to everyone that the fight for women’s rights in Afghanistan is a global fight. It is a battle for women’s rights everywhere,” she said. “And what we do, or fail to do, for women in Afghanistan reflects who we are and what we stand for as a global community.”

Davidian said she is hopeful the situation can improve because of the strong tradition of Afghan women’s rights advocates and activists. And with international support, she believes they can make progress in the fight for their rights.

Related

 

No Budget for Features, Says Head Afghan Film Organization

·

Tolo News: Director of Afghan Film, Javid Afghan, said the organization does not have the budget to make feature films, and therefore the priority has gone to making documentaries and short films. “We have done a lot of work using limited means and a small budget, and we have some projects underway, we have screened some of our short documentaries that we had,” he said According to the officials of this institution, documentary films will be made about the culture and tradition of Afghan people and women can also play a roles in the films. “If those women who want to come here wear Islamic hijab, we have no problem,” said Taiburahman, an employee of the Afghan Film Directorate. Click here to read more (external link).

The Absence of Legitimate Government Representative in Tashkent Conference, Does Taliban Represent Afghanistan People?

·

8am: Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the Taliban rule over Afghanistan, is hosting an international meeting with the theme of “Security, Economic Growth, and Regional Connectivity of Afghanistan.” At this conference, 20 countries and international organizations, including the Taliban, are supposed to discuss matters of Afghanistan and the region. This summit will be for two days (July 25-26). Political stability, security and economic issues of Afghanistan will be the main agendas of the conference. Click here to read more (external link).

Photos: Despair and poverty fuel drug use in Afghanistan

·

Al Jazeera: Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin and now a chief source of methamphetamine. Drug use has been driven by persistent poverty and decades of war that left few families unscarred. It appears to be getting worse since the country’s economy collapsed following the seizure of power by the Taliban in August 2021 and the subsequent halt of international financing. Click here to read more (external link).

Polio vaccination campaign kicks off in 28 provinces of Afghanistan

·

Child getting polio drops (file photo)

Ariana: The [Taliban] Ministry of Public Health of Afghanistan says that in cooperation with relevant international institutions, the ministry has launched a polio vaccination campaign in 28 provinces of Afghanistan which will run over three days. The ministry said on Monday, July 25 that 6.7 million children under the age of five will receive this vaccine. Click here to read more (external link).

Other Health News