Afghan Currency Drops Further Against Dollar
Tolo News: The value of Afghan currency continues to drop against the US dollar as the country’s economy is on the verge of collapse. The price of one dollar was over 110 Afs on Sunday. The union of money exchangers of Surah-e-Shahzad said the lack of sufficient dollars available in the market is the main reason for the rapid fall of the Afs. Click here to read more (external link).
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Pakistan to Host OIC Summit on Afghanistan in a Week
8am: The Pakistani media have reported that Islamabad would host a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) foreign ministers on Afghanistan in a week. The meeting will be held on December 19, which is aimed at addressing the serious and deteriorating humanitarian situation and preventing the economic crisis in Afghanistan, according to the Pakistani Foreign Ministry’s statement. Click here to read more (external link).
Britain Increases Aid Commitment To Afghanistan By $100 Million
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
December 12, 2021
Britain has pledged a further 75 million pounds ($100 million) in aid to Afghanistan to help the country address its humanitarian crisis.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss announced the aid on December 11, saying the money would help “save lives, protect women and girls, and support stability in the region.”
The additional financial support will bring the United Kingdom’s commitment to Afghanistan to 286 million pounds ($380 million dollars) this year. The new funds will be used to provide support for victims of gender-based violence and to fund essential child protection services.
The pledge came after discussions among G7 foreign ministers, who are meeting in England, about what coordinated action can be taken in Afghanistan and how to engage with the Taliban-led government.
Officials said no funds would go directly through the Taliban, which has not been recognized by any country or the UN, but would instead be funneled through the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund, the World Food Program (WFP), and other organizations.
David Beasley, executive director of the WFP, said the 34 million pound donation the organization will receive, would “help us save many lives.”
“What we are seeing on the ground is heart-breaking — 23 million people are facing severe hunger in a country crippled by drought, conflict, and an economic crisis,” he said, according to Britain’s Press Association.
“Women and children are bearing the brunt of this suffering and, as the harsh winter descends, more and more are slipping into malnutrition and starvation each day.”
The economic situation in Afghanistan has steadily worsened since the Taliban swept across the country, seizing power in Kabul on August 15. The United States and other donors cut off financial aid as the Western-backed government collapsed and the U.S. military and other international forces withdrew.
Martin Griffiths, the UN’s humanitarian chief, this week warned that Afghanistan’s economic collapse was “happening before our eyes” and urged the international community to take action to stop “the freefall” before it leads to more deaths.
The pledge from the U.K. came a day after the World Bank said donors had approved the transfer of $280 million from a frozen trust fund to two aid agencies to help Afghanistan respond to the humanitarian crisis.
The funds will be transferred by the end of the year from the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF) to two UN programs: UNICEF and the WFP, the World Bank said.
With reporting by the dpa and the Press Association
Copyright (c) 2021. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.
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The Secret History of the U.S. Diplomatic Failure in Afghanistan
Ashraf Ghani (left) and Zalmay Khalilzad (right)
The New Yorker: A trove of unreleased documents reveals a dispiriting record of misjudgment, hubris, and delusion that led to the fall of the Western-backed government. Rahimi told Ghani that the Taliban had pledged not to enter Kabul. Yet this was based on assurances from Khalilzad and the Taliban, and Ghani regarded both as unreliable sources. Click here to read more (external link).
Taekwondo Competition Held In Ghazni
Tolo News: The first round of taekwondo freestyle competitions with athletes from 14 provinces has been hosted by the central province of Ghazni. According to officials of Afghanistan’s Taekwondo Federation, 160 athletes has participated in the competition. Click here to read more (external link).
India’s First Aid Consignment Arrives in Kabul
8am: The National Radio and Television of Afghanistan (RTA) has reported that India’s first cargo of humanitarian aid has arrived in Kabul. The aid includes 7.5 tons of medicine and was handed over to Taliban officials at Kabul airport today Saturday, December 11, RTA confirmed. Click here to read more (external link).
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Trump asked his Afghanistan envoy if the US could give the Taliban money to ‘make them cooperate’
Donald Trump
The Insider: Trump was apparently willing to offer US funds to the Taliban — a group that fought against America and its allies for years in a war that claimed the lives of 2,461 US service members — he misleadingly accused the Obama administration of giving Iran billions of dollars to buy missiles to use against US forces. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghan Father Says He Must Sell One Of Newborn Triplets
Ehsanullah and his wife recently had triplets. He says he doesn’t have enough money to feed and clothe his family and has no choice but to sell one or two of the newborn children. According to the United Nations, almost 24 million people in Afghanistan suffer from acute hunger.