Afghanistan’s Humanitarian Crisis Deepens Amid Drought, Surging Food Prices |
Over twenty-four million Afghans are in need of humanitarian assistance, up from around eighteen million last year, according to a Pentagon watchdog’s report seen by Bloomberg. The U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction said conditions are likely to worsen amid a historic drought and surging food prices fueled by the war in Ukraine.
The situation has deteriorated since the Taliban’s takeover last year led to a cutoff of international aid and a U.S. blockage of billions of dollars in Afghanistan’s overseas reserves, the report said. Last week, a group of UN human rights experts called on the United States (OHCHR) to unblock Afghanistan’s frozen reserves, saying the restrictions exacerbate threats to women and girls and that Afghanistan is on the verge of a “development catastrophe.”
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“Today, as poverty and starvation stalk Afghanistan, the international community is struggling with its distaste for engagement with a new [Taliban] government whose policies it cannot condone,” the Asia Foundation’s Tabasum Akseer writes.
“In the short term, Afghans need not just bags of flour but also a viable currency, access to U.S. dollars, and trade financing to supply food for their bazaars,” the International Crisis Group’s Graeme Smith writes for Foreign Affairs.
This photo essay looks at Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis. |
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Japan’s Kishida Meets With Pope, Italy’s Draghi |
At the Vatican, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Pope Francis expressed their shared goal of abolishing nuclear weapons (Kyodo). Kishida will meet Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi in Rome to end his five-day trip through Southeast Asia and Europe.
For the Asia Unbound blog, CFR’s Sheila A. Smith explains how the war in Ukraine has deepened Japan-Europe strategic ties.
North Korea: The country fired a ballistic missile (Yonhap) into the sea ahead of South Korea’s presidential transition next week, the South Korean military said. |
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India’s Modi Meets With French, Nordic Leaders to Wrap Up Europe Tour |
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Middle East and North Africa |
Turkey Announces Plan to Repatriate One Million Syrian Migrants |
Turkey is building housing in Syria for migrants and refugees who fled Syria’s civil war and plans for one million people to return voluntarily (Hurriyet), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.
U.S./Saudi Arabia: CIA Director William J. Burns made an unannounced trip to Saudi Arabia last month to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the country’s de facto leader, U.S. and Saudi officials told the Wall Street Journal. The officials did not provide details on the meeting. |
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Al-Shabab Attacks African Union Peacekeeping Forces in Somalia |
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Proposed EU Sanctions on Russia Include Restrictions on Oil, Banks |
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Colombia Increases Security for Presidential Candidate After Reported Threat |
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Oklahoma Bans Abortion After About Six Weeks of Pregnancy |
Oklahoma’s governor signed the ban into law (AP) yesterday. It is based on a similar ban enacted in Texas last year and allows exceptions only for medical emergencies. |
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