Ariana: Pakistan said on Friday it would recognize the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) government through a regional and consensual approach, rather than taking a solo decision on the matter. In March this year, some countries, including Pakistan, were close to legitimizing the IEA [Taliban] rule but withheld their decisions at the last moment, citing lack of progress on commitments made by the IEA on certain issues, Pakistan’s Tribune reported. Click here to read (external link).
Taliban Takes Forced Interviews with Residents to Admire Fake Security Situation in Panjshir
8am: According to sources, the Taliban use weapons and warn the local residents to admire the security situation in Panjshir province. The user accounts of RTA and Bakhtar news agency are closed by the Facebook platform due to publishing fake news and stories admiring the Taliban. Click here to read more (external link).
Turn Off Lights at 9:00 PM, Taliban Orders Residents in Kapisa
8am: Sources told Hasht-e Subh Sunday that the Taliban fighters have warned the residents of some districts of this province, especially Hesa Awal district, to avoid going out at night. The sources further stated that the rebels have warned the residents of the Sanjan area to turn off the lights at 9:00 pm. Anyone’s house light found on after 9:00 pm would face punishment and consequences. Similar cases are reported in various parts of the country the Taliban patrols during the night and harass the residents at night. Click here to read more (external link).
Doctors in Herat Report Increase of Malnourished Children
Tolo News: The number of children struggling with malnutrition has surged by 50 percent this year compared to the previous year at a provincial hospital in Herat. Based on the figures of the doctors, more than 2,000 children suffering from malnutrition have been registered at a children’s hospital in Herat over the past six months. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News in Dari – July 23, 2022
From battlefields to CBD: can hemp pioneer wean Afghanistan off opium?
The Guardian (UK): Oil from the versatile plant makes cannabis medicine CBD and its fibre has a range of uses but the Taliban need convincing – The smell seemed unmistakable, the dried buds looked familiar and the Taliban checkpoint guards, who had never heard of CBD, a non-psychoactive cannabis compound, were disgusted by the pungent cargo of Amin Karim’s truck. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan signs deal to import 350,000 tons of oil from Iran
Ariana: Afghanistan’s finance ministry announced Saturday that a contract was signed for the purchase of 350,000 tons of oil from neighboring Iran. The agreement was signed with an Iranian firm during an Afghan delegation’s visit to the neighboring country. Click here to read more (external link).
Hashtag ‘Supporting Taliban’ Tops Twitter Trends in Pakistan
8am: After launching a Twitter campaign by Afghan users to block accounts related to the Taliban regime on Twitter, this group has now launched a campaign with the help of Pakistani users.This campaign to support the Taliban in Pakistan has been at the top of the trending hashtags on Twitter in this country on Saturday. Click here to read more (external link).
UN Representatives Visit Earthquake Affected Areas In Afghanistan
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
July 23, 2022
UN representatives for Afghanistan have visited the country’s southeast to discuss the “speedy delivery of humanitarian assistance” to the region where hundreds of people were killed in a powerful earthquake last month.
Markus Potzel and Ramiz Alakbarov, deputy special representatives of the UN Secretary-General for Afghanistan met with Sirajuddin Haqqani, the acting interior minister of the Taliban-led government and local leaders in Khost Province on July 22, Afghan media reported.
In a gathering that was also attended by earthquake-affected families, UN officials pledged to accelerate the delivery of aid for the victims, the reports said.
Tolonews quoted Potzel as saying that the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) will construct shelters for nearly 2,000 families who have lost their homes.
UNAMA said on Twitter that a UN team “is on the ground delivering much-needed essentials, including food, water, medical care, and temporary shelters, to affected communities and families.”
“UN plans to work with experts to conduct seismological studies on the broader region,” it added.
The 5.9-magnitude quake struck villages in mountainous regions of Paktika and Khost provinces near the country’s border with Pakistan on June 22, flattening homes and triggering landslides. At least 1,150 people were killed in the quake, and hundreds more were injured. Tens of thousands were left homeless.
The UN humanitarian coordination organization, OCHA, launched an appeal for $110 million to urgently help 362,000 people for the next 90 days in the hardest-hit areas.
The disaster has posed a challenge for the Taliban-led government, which is not recognized by any country and is already battling a severe humanitarian disaster.
Taliban rulers have pledged that they would not interfere with international efforts to distribute aid to those affected by the earthquake.
Based on reporting by Tolo News and Bakhtar 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.
Other Environmental News
Three Taliban Members Killed in NRF Offensive in Takhar
8am: Local sources in Takhar province say that five Taliban members have been killed or injured following an attack by National Resistance Front (NRF) forces in Farkhar district. This incident took place at around 11:00 am on Thursday (July 21st). A vehicle was destroyed and five weapons of the Taliban also fell into the hands of the resistance fighters. Click here to read more (external link).