US President Joe Biden is attempting to dissuade his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin from invading Ukraine. What are Biden's options? Can he score a diplomatic victory after the failure in Afghanistan? Palki Sharma tells you.

Gravitas: Biden's 'carrots and sticks' for Putin

The economic collapse of Afghanistan has accelerated since the Taliban takeover in August. Millions have been robbed of work, hundreds are left too poor to feed their families. The desperation has led to Afghans streaming across the border into Iran. WION tells you more.

Desperation drives thousands of Afghans to cross into Iran

Around 800,000 Afghan children do not have shelter from the biting winter. 3.2 million of them could face malnutrition. Without international help, this winter could turn treacherous for Afghanistan. Mariam Wardak tells you more.

South Asia Diary | Afghan children succumb to biting winter

French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday said that several European Union Countries are considering to re-establish a joint diplomatic mission in Afghanistan.

However, he was quick to point out that it “is a different approach than a political recognition or political dialogue with the Taliban.”

A number of issues had to be resolved, particularly security, for ambassadors to return, Macron said, hoping that a mission would open soon.

“We are thinking of an organisation between several European countries... a common location for several Europeans, which would allow our ambassadors to be present," Macron told reporters in Qatar. The French President is on a two-day Gulf tour.

Western ambassadors pulled out of Afghanistan after the Taliban ousted the civilian government and took power in August.

Several Taliban ministers are subject to US and UN sanctions.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/in-afghanistan-who-has-the-guns-gets-the-land-434095">In Afghanistan, ‘who has the guns gets the land’</a>

Earlier, Macron met with Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, on Friday evening. He will be next heading to Saudi Arabia.

He thanked Qatar for helping to organise the latest evacuation to France of more than 250 threatened Afghans.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-and-911-families-fight-for-billions-in-frozen-afghan-funds-432862">Taliban and 9/11 families fight for billions in frozen Afghan funds</a>

"I thank Qatar for the role it has played since the start of the crisis, and which permitted the organisation of several evacuations," Macron said.

A flight chartered by Paris flew out the 258 Afghans who were "particularly threatened because of their activities, especially journalists, or because of their links to France, including former locally-recruited civilian personnel for our armies," the French foreign ministry said on Friday.

The same flight carried 11 French nationals and about 60 from The Netherlands, along with dependents.

The ministry said that since September 10, 110 French nationals and their dependents as well as 396 Afghans have been evacuated on 10 flights organised by Qatar.

(With inputs from agencies)

French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday said that several European Union Countries are considering to re-establish a joint diplomatic mission in Afghanistan.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday said that several European Union Countries are considering to re-establish a joint diplomatic mission in Afghanistan. However, he was quick to point out that it “is a different approach than a political recognition or political dialogue with the Taliban.” A number of issues had to be resolved, particularly security, for ambassadors to return, Macron said, hoping that a mission would open soon. “We are thinking of an organisation between several European countries... a common location for several Europeans, which would allow our ambassadors to be present," Macron told reporters in Qatar. The French President is on a two-day Gulf tour. Western ambassadors pulled out of Afghanistan after the Taliban ousted the civilian government and took power in August. Several Taliban ministers are subject to US and UN sanctions. Also read | In Afghanistan, ‘who has the guns gets the land’ Earlier, Macron met with Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, on Friday evening. He will be next heading to Saudi Arabia. He thanked Qatar for helping to organise the latest evacuation to France of more than 250 threatened Afghans. Also read | Taliban and 9/11 families fight for billions in frozen Afghan funds "I thank Qatar for the role it has played since the start of the crisis, and which permitted the organisation of several evacuations," Macron said. A flight chartered by Paris flew out the 258 Afghans who were "particularly threatened because of their activities, especially journalists, or because of their links to France, including former locally-recruited civilian personnel for our armies," the French foreign ministry said on Friday. The same flight carried 11 French nationals and about 60 from The Netherlands, along with dependents. The ministry said that since September 10, 110 French nationals and their dependents as well as 396 Afghans have been evacuated on 10 flights organised by Qatar. (With inputs from agencies)

EU countries planning to open joint diplomatic mission in Afghanistan: France President Macron

One by one, women poured into the mud brick clinic, the frames of famished children peeking out beneath the folds of their pale gray, blue and pink burqas.

Many had walked for more than an hour across this drab stretch of southern Afghanistan, desperate for medicine to pump life back into their children’s shrunken veins. For months, their once-daily meals had grown more sparse as harvests failed, wells ran dry and credit for flour from shopkeepers ran out.

Nearly four months since the Taliban seized power, Afghanistan is on the brink of a mass starvation that aid groups say threatens to kill 1 million children this winter.

The country’s hunger crisis has drastically worsened in recent months. This winter, an estimated 22.8 million people — more than half the population — are expected to face potentially life-threatening levels of food insecurity, according to an analysis by the UN&nbsp;World Food Program and Food and Agriculture Organization. Of those, 8.7 million people are nearing famine — the worst stage of a food crisis.

Since the Taliban seized power, the United States and other Western donors have grappled with questions over how to avert a humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan without granting the new regime legitimacy by removing sanctions or putting money directly into the Taliban’s hands.

But as the humanitarian situation has worsened, aid organizations have called on the United States to move more quickly.

US&nbsp;officials showed some flexibility around loosening the economic chokehold on Afghanistan last week when the World Bank’s board — which includes the United States — moved to free up $280 million in frozen donor funding for the World Food Program and UNICEF. Still, the sum is just a portion of the $1.5 billion frozen by the World Bank amid pressure from the U.S. Treasury Department after the Taliban took control.

The Taliban government has repeatedly called on the Biden administration to ease economic restrictions and has worked with international organizations to deliver some assistance. But already, millions of Afghans have been pushed over the edge.

One by one, women poured into the mud brick clinic, the frames of famished children peeking out beneath the folds of their pale gray, blue and pink burqas. Many had walked for more than an hour across this drab stretch of southern Afghanistan, desperate for medicine to pump life back into their children’s shrunken veins.

One by one, women poured into the mud brick clinic, the frames of famished children peeking out beneath the folds of their pale gray, blue and pink burqas. Many had walked for more than an hour across this drab stretch of southern Afghanistan, desperate for medicine to pump life back into their children’s shrunken veins. For months, their once-daily meals had grown more sparse as harvests failed, wells ran dry and credit for flour from shopkeepers ran out. Nearly four months since the Taliban seized power, Afghanistan is on the brink of a mass starvation that aid groups say threatens to kill 1 million children this winter. The country’s hunger crisis has drastically worsened in recent months. This winter, an estimated 22.8 million people — more than half the population — are expected to face potentially life-threatening levels of food insecurity, according to an analysis by the UN World Food Program and Food and Agriculture Organization. Of those, 8.7 million people are nearing famine — the worst stage of a food crisis. Since the Taliban seized power, the United States and other Western donors have grappled with questions over how to avert a humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan without granting the new regime legitimacy by removing sanctions or putting money directly into the Taliban’s hands. But as the humanitarian situation has worsened, aid organizations have called on the United States to move more quickly. US officials showed some flexibility around loosening the economic chokehold on Afghanistan last week when the World Bank’s board — which includes the United States — moved to free up $280 million in frozen donor funding for the World Food Program and UNICEF. Still, the sum is just a portion of the $1.5 billion frozen by the World Bank amid pressure from the U.S. Treasury Department after the Taliban took control. The Taliban government has repeatedly called on the Biden administration to ease economic restrictions and has worked with international organizations to deliver some assistance. But already, millions of Afghans have been pushed over the edge.

Facing economic collapse, Afghanistan is gripped by starvation

A blast took place in Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Saturday, according to local news media reports.

The eyewitness said that the blast occurred on Kabul's Fifth Taimani Street, Tolo News reported.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a> An Explosion occured in the Taimani 5th street. 
 
It was caused by a magnetic mine at a Land Cruiser of Taliban.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BreakingNews?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BreakingNews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kabul?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kabul</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kabulblast?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kabulblast</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Afghanistan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Afghanistan</a> <a href="https://t.co/2e700rAIHJ">pic.twitter.com/2e700rAIHJ</a>
— The HbK (@The5HbK) <a href="https://twitter.com/The5HbK/status/1467118040059842560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2021</a></blockquote>
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So far, no casualties have been reported and it is not clear how the blast took place.

Further details are awaited.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/in-afghanistan-who-has-the-guns-gets-the-land-434095">In Afghanistan, ‘who has the guns gets the land’</a>

The latest explosion comes two weeks after the Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIS-K) carried out two bomb blasts that left around dozen civilians dead and scores wounded in Kabul.

The first explosion was a car bomb blast that took place in Dasht-e Barchi, a heavily Shi’ite Muslim area of western Kabul.

A second explosion was also reported in the nearby Karte 3 area, local residents said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-and-911-families-fight-for-billions-in-frozen-afghan-funds-432862">Taliban and 9/11 families fight for billions in frozen Afghan funds</a>

The terror group has intensified bombings and other attacks since the Taliban seized power in mid-August.

For months, US military officials have been warning that ISIS-K and al-Qaida are regrouping and re-emerging in strife-torn Afghanistan.

ISIS-K, which has been mostly antagonistic toward the Taliban, recently denounced the militant group's takeover of Afghanistan, saying that the group’s version of Islamic rule was insufficiently hard line.

According to a report from the Washington-based think tank, Center for Strategic and International Studies, ISIS-K “disregards international borders and envisions its territory transcending nation-states like Afghanistan and Pakistan.”

The Islamic State announced its expansion to the Khorasan region in 2015, which historically encompasses parts of modern-day Iran, Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

(With inputs from agencies)

A blast took place in Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Saturday, according to local news media reports. The eyewitness said that the blast occurred on Kabul's Fifth Taimani Street, Tolo News reported.

A blast took place in Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Saturday, according to local news media reports. The eyewitness said that the blast occurred on Kabul's Fifth Taimani Street, Tolo News reported. #BREAKING An Explosion occured in the Taimani 5th street. It was caused by a magnetic mine at a Land Cruiser of Taliban.#BreakingNews #Kabul #Kabulblast #Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/2e700rAIHJ — The HbK (@The5HbK) December 4, 2021 × So far, no casualties have been reported and it is not clear how the blast took place. Further details are awaited. Also read | In Afghanistan, ‘who has the guns gets the land’ The latest explosion comes two weeks after the Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIS-K) carried out two bomb blasts that left around dozen civilians dead and scores wounded in Kabul. The first explosion was a car bomb blast that took place in Dasht-e Barchi, a heavily Shi’ite Muslim area of western Kabul. A second explosion was also reported in the nearby Karte 3 area, local residents said. Also read | Taliban and 9/11 families fight for billions in frozen Afghan funds The terror group has intensified bombings and other attacks since the Taliban seized power in mid-August. For months, US military officials have been warning that ISIS-K and al-Qaida are regrouping and re-emerging in strife-torn Afghanistan. ISIS-K, which has been mostly antagonistic toward the Taliban, recently denounced the militant group's takeover of Afghanistan, saying that the group’s version of Islamic rule was insufficiently hard line. According to a report from the Washington-based think tank, Center for Strategic and International Studies, ISIS-K “disregards international borders and envisions its territory transcending nation-states like Afghanistan and Pakistan.” The Islamic State announced its expansion to the Khorasan region in 2015, which historically encompasses parts of modern-day Iran, Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. (With inputs from agencies)

Blast rocks Afghanistan’s Kabul, no casualties reported

For decades, roughly 1,000 families called the low-slung mud-walled neighborhood of Firqa home. Some moved in during the 1990s civil war, while others were provided housing under the previous government.

Soon after the Taliban takeover Aug. 15, the new government told them all to get out.

Ghullam Farooq, 40, sat in the darkness of his shop in Firqa last month, describing how armed Taliban fighters came at night, expelling him at gunpoint from his home in the community, a neighborhood of Kandahar city in southern Afghanistan.

“All the Taliban said was, ‘Take your stuff and go,' ” he said.

Those who fled or were forcibly removed were quickly replaced with Taliban commanders and fighters.

Thousands of Afghans are facing such traumatic dislocations as the new Taliban government uses property to compensate its fighters for years of military service, amid a crumbling economy and a lack of cash.

Over decades, after every period of upheaval in Afghanistan, property becomes a crucial form of wealth for those in power to reward followers. But this arbitrary redistribution also leaves thousands displaced and fuels endless disputes in a country where the land ownership system is so informal that few people hold any documentation for the ground they call their own.

Just as during past changes in government, distributing property to Taliban disciples in swaths of rural farmland and in desirable urban neighborhoods has turned into at least a short-term recourse to keep stability within the Taliban ranks.

“Who has the guns gets the land,” said Patricia Gossman, associate Asia director for Human Rights Watch. “It’s an old, long continuing story.”

In a largely pastoral nation split by rugged mountain ranges, dotted with deserts and little forest, land is one of the most important assets and a flashpoint, fueling blood feuds between neighbors, ethnic groups and warlords as power has changed hands. Conflicting legal systems dictating land ownership and a lack of documentation have further destabilized the property market through the generations.

The country is slightly smaller in land area than Texas, with a population that has grown in past decades to around 39 million people. Yet, only one-eighth of Afghanistan’s land is farmable and shrinking under a crippling drought and changes wrought from climate change.

Today’s land disputes in Afghanistan can be largely traced to the Soviet-backed regime that came to power in the late 1970s, which redistributed property across the country. This quickly fueled tensions as land was confiscated and given to the poor and landless under the banner of socialism.

Land redistribution continued to play out, first during the civil war in the early 1990s and then under the rise of the Taliban. After the U.S. invasion in 2001, those same commanders who were once defeated by the Taliban went about distributing and stealing land once more, this time with the backing of the newly installed U.S.-supported government. U.S. and NATO military forces contributed to the problem by seizing property for bases and doing little to compensate landowners.

Attempts by the Western-backed government over the past two decades to formalize land ownership and property rights ultimately proved futile as the incentives to take advantage of the system overwhelmed efforts to regularize it.

Now more than three months after the Taliban’s rise to power, its administrators are in a similar position, but with no official policy regarding land ownership.

“We are still analyzing and investigating how to honor land deeds and titles for people,” said Bilal Karimi, a Taliban spokesperson.

Local Taliban leaders have been seizing and reallocating property for years in districts they captured to reward fighters and the families of their dead with land to farm or sell for profit.

In 2019, when the Taliban arrived at Mullah Abdul Salam’s modest poppy farm in Musa Qala, in Helmand province, he faced an impossible choice. Like many poor farmers in rural Afghanistan, he had no legal deed to prove he owned the ground he had cultivated for years.

So the Taliban gave him an ultimatum: Either pay a lump sum to keep his land or give it up.

“We came early, and we had the right to the land,” Salam recalled, standing on the edge of his poppy field in Musa Qala, shovel in hand. “It had to be ours.”

For some time, the land in Musa Qala was unclaimed, undocumented and written off as unfarmable, except by a few farmers such as Salam. Then the ground became more fertile with the widespread growth of solar power that enabled farmers to run well pumps, at far lower expense than use of conventional fuel. The Taliban tried to strike a balance by allowing the poor farmers to remain at relatively small cost, while allocating unclaimed plots to its fighters.

Khoi, a brother of a Taliban fighter who goes by one name, was among the family members of the militants who received land in Musa Qala two years ago. Since then, he said, fellow Taliban veterans had profited by selling portions of the property gifted to them.

“There is no more land for the Taliban to distribute here. If they could, they would,” he said.

With no official guidance, Taliban officials have now resorted to the same practices throughout the country that carved up the area around Salam’s farm.

But as the Taliban distribute property, parts of the population have been left confused and angered by the actions of their new government, which suspiciously resemble the behavior of its predecessors.

In Takhar province, a historically anti-Taliban stronghold in Afghanistan’s north, Taliban fighters have evicted people — including some who had lived there for more than 40 years — in several districts, saying the land was unfairly distributed by previous governments, said a former Afghan lawmaker on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation against her family.

Takhar residents, the former lawmaker said, have started to question whether Taliban administrators can run the country any more effectively than their predecessors, given how they are following the same practices as past governments.

“The greatest issue for the Taliban going forward will be to deal with land documentation and legalization,” said Fazal Muzhary, a former researcher at Afghanistan Analysts Network, a policy research group, who focused on land ownership in Afghanistan. “So when the Taliban want to legalize or demarcate lands, they will also need to take back the lands from people who grabbed them in any period, in the '70s, '80s, '90s, 2000s and so on. This will be very challenging for them.”

In central Afghanistan, property disputes of another nature are playing out: the marginalization and displacement of ethnic minorities in order to seize their arable land. Taliban leaders have long persecuted and antagonized the Hazaras, a mostly Shiite minority, and in recent months, the new government has watched as local strongmen evicted hundreds of families.

In September, Nasrullah, 27, and his family fled their village in Daikundi province, along with around 200 families who left nearly everything, he said.

Such displacements have upended more than a dozen villages in central Afghanistan, affecting more than 2,800 Hazaras, according to a Human Rights Watch report.

In recent weeks, local courts have overturned some seizures, allowing some families to return. But for most, the evictions have been traumatic.

“In each village, the Taliban put a checkpoint, and the people aren’t allowed to take anything but our clothes and some flour,” said Nasrullah, who goes by one name, during an interview in September. “But I brought only my clothes.” 
&nbsp;

For decades, roughly 1,000 families called the low-slung mud-walled neighborhood of Firqa home. Some moved in during the 1990s civil war, while others were provided housing under the previous government.

For decades, roughly 1,000 families called the low-slung mud-walled neighborhood of Firqa home. Some moved in during the 1990s civil war, while others were provided housing under the previous government. Soon after the Taliban takeover Aug. 15, the new government told them all to get out. Ghullam Farooq, 40, sat in the darkness of his shop in Firqa last month, describing how armed Taliban fighters came at night, expelling him at gunpoint from his home in the community, a neighborhood of Kandahar city in southern Afghanistan. “All the Taliban said was, ‘Take your stuff and go,' ” he said. Those who fled or were forcibly removed were quickly replaced with Taliban commanders and fighters. Thousands of Afghans are facing such traumatic dislocations as the new Taliban government uses property to compensate its fighters for years of military service, amid a crumbling economy and a lack of cash. Over decades, after every period of upheaval in Afghanistan, property becomes a crucial form of wealth for those in power to reward followers. But this arbitrary redistribution also leaves thousands displaced and fuels endless disputes in a country where the land ownership system is so informal that few people hold any documentation for the ground they call their own. Just as during past changes in government, distributing property to Taliban disciples in swaths of rural farmland and in desirable urban neighborhoods has turned into at least a short-term recourse to keep stability within the Taliban ranks. “Who has the guns gets the land,” said Patricia Gossman, associate Asia director for Human Rights Watch. “It’s an old, long continuing story.” In a largely pastoral nation split by rugged mountain ranges, dotted with deserts and little forest, land is one of the most important assets and a flashpoint, fueling blood feuds between neighbors, ethnic groups and warlords as power has changed hands. Conflicting legal systems dictating land ownership and a lack of documentation have further destabilized the property market through the generations. The country is slightly smaller in land area than Texas, with a population that has grown in past decades to around 39 million people. Yet, only one-eighth of Afghanistan’s land is farmable and shrinking under a crippling drought and changes wrought from climate change. Today’s land disputes in Afghanistan can be largely traced to the Soviet-backed regime that came to power in the late 1970s, which redistributed property across the country. This quickly fueled tensions as land was confiscated and given to the poor and landless under the banner of socialism. Land redistribution continued to play out, first during the civil war in the early 1990s and then under the rise of the Taliban. After the U.S. invasion in 2001, those same commanders who were once defeated by the Taliban went about distributing and stealing land once more, this time with the backing of the newly installed U.S.-supported government. U.S. and NATO military forces contributed to the problem by seizing property for bases and doing little to compensate landowners. Attempts by the Western-backed government over the past two decades to formalize land ownership and property rights ultimately proved futile as the incentives to take advantage of the system overwhelmed efforts to regularize it. Now more than three months after the Taliban’s rise to power, its administrators are in a similar position, but with no official policy regarding land ownership. “We are still analyzing and investigating how to honor land deeds and titles for people,” said Bilal Karimi, a Taliban spokesperson. Local Taliban leaders have been seizing and reallocating property for years in districts they captured to reward fighters and the families of their dead with land to farm or sell for profit. In 2019, when the Taliban arrived at Mullah Abdul Salam’s modest poppy farm in Musa Qala, in Helmand province, he faced an impossible choice. Like many poor farmers in rural Afghanistan, he had no legal deed to prove he owned the ground he had cultivated for years. So the Taliban gave him an ultimatum: Either pay a lump sum to keep his land or give it up. “We came early, and we had the right to the land,” Salam recalled, standing on the edge of his poppy field in Musa Qala, shovel in hand. “It had to be ours.” For some time, the land in Musa Qala was unclaimed, undocumented and written off as unfarmable, except by a few farmers such as Salam. Then the ground became more fertile with the widespread growth of solar power that enabled farmers to run well pumps, at far lower expense than use of conventional fuel. The Taliban tried to strike a balance by allowing the poor farmers to remain at relatively small cost, while allocating unclaimed plots to its fighters. Khoi, a brother of a Taliban fighter who goes by one name, was among the family members of the militants who received land in Musa Qala two years ago. Since then, he said, fellow Taliban veterans had profited by selling portions of the property gifted to them. “There is no more land for the Taliban to distribute here. If they could, they would,” he said. With no official guidance, Taliban officials have now resorted to the same practices throughout the country that carved up the area around Salam’s farm. But as the Taliban distribute property, parts of the population have been left confused and angered by the actions of their new government, which suspiciously resemble the behavior of its predecessors. In Takhar province, a historically anti-Taliban stronghold in Afghanistan’s north, Taliban fighters have evicted people — including some who had lived there for more than 40 years — in several districts, saying the land was unfairly distributed by previous governments, said a former Afghan lawmaker on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation against her family. Takhar residents, the former lawmaker said, have started to question whether Taliban administrators can run the country any more effectively than their predecessors, given how they are following the same practices as past governments. “The greatest issue for the Taliban going forward will be to deal with land documentation and legalization,” said Fazal Muzhary, a former researcher at Afghanistan Analysts Network, a policy research group, who focused on land ownership in Afghanistan. “So when the Taliban want to legalize or demarcate lands, they will also need to take back the lands from people who grabbed them in any period, in the '70s, '80s, '90s, 2000s and so on. This will be very challenging for them.” In central Afghanistan, property disputes of another nature are playing out: the marginalization and displacement of ethnic minorities in order to seize their arable land. Taliban leaders have long persecuted and antagonized the Hazaras, a mostly Shiite minority, and in recent months, the new government has watched as local strongmen evicted hundreds of families. In September, Nasrullah, 27, and his family fled their village in Daikundi province, along with around 200 families who left nearly everything, he said. Such displacements have upended more than a dozen villages in central Afghanistan, affecting more than 2,800 Hazaras, according to a Human Rights Watch report. In recent weeks, local courts have overturned some seizures, allowing some families to return. But for most, the evictions have been traumatic. “In each village, the Taliban put a checkpoint, and the people aren’t allowed to take anything but our clothes and some flour,” said Nasrullah, who goes by one name, during an interview in September. “But I brought only my clothes.”

In Afghanistan, ‘who has the guns gets the land’

The Taliban`s move to stop women from working could cost the Afghan economy nearly USD 1 billion, according to a new report by the United Nations Development Programme, that portrays the growing humanitarian crisis in the country. Afghanistan`s nominal GDP is likely to contract by 20 per cent within a year, from USD 20 billion in 2020 to a figure of USD 16 billion, the UNDP said in a new socio-economic report on Wednesday.

The report has warned that this decline may reach 30 per cent in the following years, or USD 14 billion, if urgent corrective action is not taken. The UN agency said annual per capita income in the country had declined from USD 650 in 2012 to USD 500 in 2020 and is expected to drop precipitously to USD 350 next year.

"This new socio-economic assessment on Afghanistan estimates that restricting women from working could result in an immediate economic loss of up to USD 1 billion - or up to five per cent of the country`s GDP," said UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-and-myanmar-junta-denied-seats-by-the-un-for-the-time-being-433515">Taliban and Myanmar junta denied seats by the UN for the time being</a>

"Not only is this a loss the country can ill afford but we call on the de facto authorities to uphold the rights of women and girls, including the right to learn and to work."&nbsp;

Failing to invest in half of the country`s human capital - in girls` education - will have dire socio-economic consequences for years to come, according to UNDP.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/despite-surrendering-taliban-executed-scores-of-afghan-soldiers-report-433330">Despite surrendering, Taliban executed scores of Afghan soldiers: Report</a>

The "Afghanistan: Socio-Economic Outlook 2021-2022" report released on Wednesday called for all available local resources to be mobilized, including female aid workers whose deployment is severely restricted in most provinces.

The economic modelling undertaken jointly by UNDP and independent economists indicates that with falling incomes and a growing population, it could take USD 2 billion just to lift the incomes of all people in extreme poverty up to the poverty line, the UN agency said.

An economic rapid appraisal released by UNDP in September projected that up to 97 per cent of the population may be at risk of sinking below the poverty line by 2022, unless a response to the country`s political and economic crises is urgently launched.

"We are facing the unfathomable prospect that the most basic human needs of nearly 40 million people will not be met," said UNDP Resident Representative in Afghanistan Abdallah al Dardari.

The Taliban`s move to stop women from working could cost the Afghan economy nearly USD 1 billion, according to a new report by the United Nations Development Programme, that portrays the growing humanitarian crisis in the country.

The Taliban`s move to stop women from working could cost the Afghan economy nearly USD 1 billion, according to a new report by the United Nations Development Programme, that portrays the growing humanitarian crisis in the country. Afghanistan`s nominal GDP is likely to contract by 20 per cent within a year, from USD 20 billion in 2020 to a figure of USD 16 billion, the UNDP said in a new socio-economic report on Wednesday. The report has warned that this decline may reach 30 per cent in the following years, or USD 14 billion, if urgent corrective action is not taken. The UN agency said annual per capita income in the country had declined from USD 650 in 2012 to USD 500 in 2020 and is expected to drop precipitously to USD 350 next year. "This new socio-economic assessment on Afghanistan estimates that restricting women from working could result in an immediate economic loss of up to USD 1 billion - or up to five per cent of the country`s GDP," said UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner. Also Read | Taliban and Myanmar junta denied seats by the UN for the time being "Not only is this a loss the country can ill afford but we call on the de facto authorities to uphold the rights of women and girls, including the right to learn and to work." Failing to invest in half of the country`s human capital - in girls` education - will have dire socio-economic consequences for years to come, according to UNDP. Also Read | Despite surrendering, Taliban executed scores of Afghan soldiers: Report The "Afghanistan: Socio-Economic Outlook 2021-2022" report released on Wednesday called for all available local resources to be mobilized, including female aid workers whose deployment is severely restricted in most provinces. The economic modelling undertaken jointly by UNDP and independent economists indicates that with falling incomes and a growing population, it could take USD 2 billion just to lift the incomes of all people in extreme poverty up to the poverty line, the UN agency said. An economic rapid appraisal released by UNDP in September projected that up to 97 per cent of the population may be at risk of sinking below the poverty line by 2022, unless a response to the country`s political and economic crises is urgently launched. "We are facing the unfathomable prospect that the most basic human needs of nearly 40 million people will not be met," said UNDP Resident Representative in Afghanistan Abdallah al Dardari.

Taliban ban on women can cost economy USD 1 billion

European Union's special envoy on Afghanistan, Tomas Niklasson, who is in Delhi, has welcomed the Indian government's offer to send humanitarian support of 50,000 MT of wheat to Afghanistan. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The Indian support offer comes as onset of winter in Afghanistan is worsening the situation in the war-torn country for many residents. The country witnessed a Taliban takeover in August. &nbsp;

Speaking to our diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Niklasson said, "There is a very strong overlap in way, or a very similar analysis of the situation" by India and EU when it comes to Afghanistan and both are "looking to see if there are concrete areas where we can work." In Delhi, the EU special envoy met India’s Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla and JS PAI JP Singh. &nbsp;

Niklasson has come to Delhi from Doha where he had held talks with Taliban delegation led by its Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. One of the key issues raised by EU during the meet was human rights, women's rights, lack of inclusivity of Taliban-led government, etc. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Asked about if EU plans to recognise the regime, he said, "We are not rushing into recognition, we are not recognising, we haven't recognised the Taliban regime, the interim government. We do, however, see the need to engage with them". &nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sidhant Sibal: What kind of conversations you had in Delhi with the India’s Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla and JS PAI JP Singh? &nbsp;

Tomas Niklasson: We had a very good meeting on Wednesday with the foreign secretary and also with the joint secretary working on Afghanistan, whom I have met before. Basically, the purpose of my visit is to explore with Indian officials, understand better how they see the situation, what challenges they see are coming from Afghanistan, what solution they see, how we can work together and I am pleased to see what we basically knew from before that there is a very strong overlap in way or a very similar analysis of the situation and now looking to see if there are concrete areas where we can work. &nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sidhant Sibal: What are these concrete areas where India and EU can work on Afghanistan? &nbsp;

Tomas Niklasson: To start with, we need to have a common understanding of the situation, that we already have. We should also, try to harmonise the messages that we are sending to the Taliban appointed interim government, in terms of what is expected from them, respect for human rights, Afghanistan not again being a threat to other countries, inclusivity of the government and some other issues and that is something we can work on but not exclusively between EU and India and I see convergence among partners in the region and beyond. It is the same thing we tell and that is a good thing. &nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;

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&nbsp;

Sidhant Sibal: What kind of conversation you had in Doha with Taliban FM Muttaqi and do you plan to recognise the Taliban government in Kabul? &nbsp;

Tomas Niklasson: I will start with second question because that is the easiest and shortest one. The answer is no, we are not rushing into recognition, we haven't recognised the Taliban regime, the interim government. We do, however, see the need to engage with them and our conversation in Doha this weekend, with acting Taliban foreign minister and the delegation from Kabul touched on the areas I just mentioned. We talked on inclusivity of the government, human rights, counter terrorism, access to humanitarian assistance and safe passage, which means Afghans under threat, people, which need safe passage to be able to leave the country. &nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sidhant Sibal: But do you think Taliban is serious about these issues, like human rights, women's education? &nbsp;

Tomas Niklasson: We have discussed the issue of inclusive government and I made it very clear, you are absolutely right that there are no women in the leading position that is something we talked about. On inclusivity, there are other aspects, such as ethnicity, non-Taliban and non-Pashtuns, should have a stronger role if they want government to be recognised by its own people. There is a lot of talk about international recognition but equally important or some would say even more important is to be recognised by own people. When it comes to the right of women, long way to go. We talked about education and there was a clear commitment and clear declaration that it is a policy of the interim government that women and girls should go to school. But obviously this is not happening and we need to see it, we need to push and monitor and ensure girls get access to education. We could even see or support the payments of stipend, to incentivise teachers, so that education can be provided but that can only happen if girls have access. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

Sidhant Sibal: India is keen to send humanitarian aid to Afghan people, but there are some hindrances. &nbsp;

Tomas Niklasson: Humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan is absolutely crucial. EU has raised its pledges of humanitarian assistance from 60 million euros to 300 million euros. Our member states have pledged another 400 million euros and we appreciate contributions from other countries and also appreciate India's offer to send 50,000 MT of wheat to Afghanistan. There were some references in our conversation that there were talks going on to solve the issue between India and Pakistan. I am not aware how these talks are progressing, I am not aware of specific details but obviously for the sake of people of Afghanistan, we will very much hope that a solution can be found quickly. &nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sidhant Sibal: Pakistan has influence when it comes Taliban. What role do you see of the government in Islamabad when it comes to making sure Taliban fulfills its commitment. Do you think Taliban is playing a negative role or it is playing a certain positive role? &nbsp;

Tomas Niklasson: I don't think it is constructive to try to put countries in either of those categories. The relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan is complex and long and we can talk about history, how the countries suffered. Pakistan has paid a heavy price. It has been very clear to me that many Indian voices consider Pakistan to have played negative role but we have seen positive elements. They have generously hosted large number of Afghanistan refugees for decades at a very high price, in terms of how it has impacted the country. They have played a constructive role now in helping the Afghan people and foreign citizens leave the country. So, I would not like to or don't find it helpful to try to draw up a net value. We try to work with countries including India and Pakistan and see that the messaging and the identification of these messages we need to send to the Taliban are very similar and we all need to make progress from words to action. So rather than qualifying, who is playing negative or positive role, we should look as to how each can contribute for the sake of people and for peace and stability. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

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&nbsp;&nbsp;

Sidhant Sibal: What do you think is the biggest challenge, one is of course, humanitarian aid, and what EU can do about it? &nbsp;

Tomas Niklasson: In short term, winter is already in Afghanistan and humanitarian challenge is a priority. We already have people on the ground in Kabul, we have international humanitarian staff working day and night to make sure our pledges of 300 million euros are translated into medicine, food, cloths and the essentials people need to survive. We work through international organisations, UN organisations and NGOs to make sure that this happens and it is. We see fast progress and there are significant challenges in getting resources into the country, not just the Indian wheat, but liquidity problem, but my basic message is we never left Afghanistan in terms of the humanitarian assistance, we have worked with Afghanistan for more than 20 years and we continue to do everything we can to help the Afghan people because our commitment to it remains very strong. &nbsp;

&nbsp; &nbsp;

Sidhant Sibal: Any plans to open full-fledged mission of EU in Kabul? &nbsp;

Tomas Niklasson: There are no plans to open full-fledged mission in Kabul. We had a quite substantial presence; we were providing development assistance of 200-300 million euros per year. This is not happening; this is not possible. What we are considering is if we can have very small number of colleagues, no ambassador, no head of delegation but few people, who can help on the one hand when it comes to humanitarian assistance and second to help Afghans whom we have obligations and big responsibility for, in terms of safe passage. This will depend, if we can do that and when we can do that, on the security situation, how it evolves and it depends on the mechanism we can put in place to secure our staff. which is an absolute priority for us but provided we can solve these issues; this can happen sooner or later.&nbsp;

European Union's special envoy on Afghanistan, Tomas Niklasson, who is in Delhi, has welcomed the Indian government's offer to send humanitarian support of 50,000 MT of wheat to Afghanistan.

European Union's special envoy on Afghanistan, Tomas Niklasson, who is in Delhi, has welcomed the Indian government's offer to send humanitarian support of 50,000 MT of wheat to Afghanistan. The Indian support offer comes as onset of winter in Afghanistan is worsening the situation in the war-torn country for many residents. The country witnessed a Taliban takeover in August. Speaking to our diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Niklasson said, "There is a very strong overlap in way, or a very similar analysis of the situation" by India and EU when it comes to Afghanistan and both are "looking to see if there are concrete areas where we can work." In Delhi, the EU special envoy met India’s Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla and JS PAI JP Singh. Niklasson has come to Delhi from Doha where he had held talks with Taliban delegation led by its Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. One of the key issues raised by EU during the meet was human rights, women's rights, lack of inclusivity of Taliban-led government, etc. Asked about if EU plans to recognise the regime, he said, "We are not rushing into recognition, we are not recognising, we haven't recognised the Taliban regime, the interim government. We do, however, see the need to engage with them". Sidhant Sibal: What kind of conversations you had in Delhi with the India’s Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla and JS PAI JP Singh? Tomas Niklasson: We had a very good meeting on Wednesday with the foreign secretary and also with the joint secretary working on Afghanistan, whom I have met before. Basically, the purpose of my visit is to explore with Indian officials, understand better how they see the situation, what challenges they see are coming from Afghanistan, what solution they see, how we can work together and I am pleased to see what we basically knew from before that there is a very strong overlap in way or a very similar analysis of the situation and now looking to see if there are concrete areas where we can work. Sidhant Sibal: What are these concrete areas where India and EU can work on Afghanistan? Tomas Niklasson: To start with, we need to have a common understanding of the situation, that we already have. We should also, try to harmonise the messages that we are sending to the Taliban appointed interim government, in terms of what is expected from them, respect for human rights, Afghanistan not again being a threat to other countries, inclusivity of the government and some other issues and that is something we can work on but not exclusively between EU and India and I see convergence among partners in the region and beyond. It is the same thing we tell and that is a good thing. Also Read: India announces 'first if its kind' nuclear programme, to have 9 nuclear reactors by 2024 Sidhant Sibal: What kind of conversation you had in Doha with Taliban FM Muttaqi and do you plan to recognise the Taliban government in Kabul? Tomas Niklasson: I will start with second question because that is the easiest and shortest one. The answer is no, we are not rushing into recognition, we haven't recognised the Taliban regime, the interim government. We do, however, see the need to engage with them and our conversation in Doha this weekend, with acting Taliban foreign minister and the delegation from Kabul touched on the areas I just mentioned. We talked on inclusivity of the government, human rights, counter terrorism, access to humanitarian assistance and safe passage, which means Afghans under threat, people, which need safe passage to be able to leave the country. Sidhant Sibal: But do you think Taliban is serious about these issues, like human rights, women's education? Tomas Niklasson: We have discussed the issue of inclusive government and I made it very clear, you are absolutely right that there are no women in the leading position that is something we talked about. On inclusivity, there are other aspects, such as ethnicity, non-Taliban and non-Pashtuns, should have a stronger role if they want government to be recognised by its own people. There is a lot of talk about international recognition but equally important or some would say even more important is to be recognised by own people. When it comes to the right of women, long way to go. We talked about education and there was a clear commitment and clear declaration that it is a policy of the interim government that women and girls should go to school. But obviously this is not happening and we need to see it, we need to push and monitor and ensure girls get access to education. We could even see or support the payments of stipend, to incentivise teachers, so that education can be provided but that can only happen if girls have access. Sidhant Sibal: India is keen to send humanitarian aid to Afghan people, but there are some hindrances. Tomas Niklasson: Humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan is absolutely crucial. EU has raised its pledges of humanitarian assistance from 60 million euros to 300 million euros. Our member states have pledged another 400 million euros and we appreciate contributions from other countries and also appreciate India's offer to send 50,000 MT of wheat to Afghanistan. There were some references in our conversation that there were talks going on to solve the issue between India and Pakistan. I am not aware how these talks are progressing, I am not aware of specific details but obviously for the sake of people of Afghanistan, we will very much hope that a solution can be found quickly. Sidhant Sibal: Pakistan has influence when it comes Taliban. What role do you see of the government in Islamabad when it comes to making sure Taliban fulfills its commitment. Do you think Taliban is playing a negative role or it is playing a certain positive role? Tomas Niklasson: I don't think it is constructive to try to put countries in either of those categories. The relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan is complex and long and we can talk about history, how the countries suffered. Pakistan has paid a heavy price. It has been very clear to me that many Indian voices consider Pakistan to have played negative role but we have seen positive elements. They have generously hosted large number of Afghanistan refugees for decades at a very high price, in terms of how it has impacted the country. They have played a constructive role now in helping the Afghan people and foreign citizens leave the country. So, I would not like to or don't find it helpful to try to draw up a net value. We try to work with countries including India and Pakistan and see that the messaging and the identification of these messages we need to send to the Taliban are very similar and we all need to make progress from words to action. So rather than qualifying, who is playing negative or positive role, we should look as to how each can contribute for the sake of people and for peace and stability. Also Read: No free Covid treatment if not vaccinated in this India’s southern state Sidhant Sibal: What do you think is the biggest challenge, one is of course, humanitarian aid, and what EU can do about it? Tomas Niklasson: In short term, winter is already in Afghanistan and humanitarian challenge is a priority. We already have people on the ground in Kabul, we have international humanitarian staff working day and night to make sure our pledges of 300 million euros are translated into medicine, food, cloths and the essentials people need to survive. We work through international organisations, UN organisations and NGOs to make sure that this happens and it is. We see fast progress and there are significant challenges in getting resources into the country, not just the Indian wheat, but liquidity problem, but my basic message is we never left Afghanistan in terms of the humanitarian assistance, we have worked with Afghanistan for more than 20 years and we continue to do everything we can to help the Afghan people because our commitment to it remains very strong. Sidhant Sibal: Any plans to open full-fledged mission of EU in Kabul? Tomas Niklasson: There are no plans to open full-fledged mission in Kabul. We had a quite substantial presence; we were providing development assistance of 200-300 million euros per year. This is not happening; this is not possible. What we are considering is if we can have very small number of colleagues, no ambassador, no head of delegation but few people, who can help on the one hand when it comes to humanitarian assistance and second to help Afghans whom we have obligations and big responsibility for, in terms of safe passage. This will depend, if we can do that and when we can do that, on the security situation, how it evolves and it depends on the mechanism we can put in place to secure our staff. which is an absolute priority for us but provided we can solve these issues; this can happen sooner or later.

EU special envoy on Afghanistan lauds India's humanitarian support offer to Kabul  

European Union's special envoy on Afghanistan, Tomas Niklasson who is in Delhi has welcomed the Indian govt's offer to send humanitarian support of 50,000 MT of wheat to the people of Afghanistan. The Indian support comes even as the onset of winters in Afghanistan is worsening the situation in the country for many common Afghans. The country saw a Taliban takeover in the month of August. Speaking to our diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Niklasson said," there is a very strong overlap in a way, or a very similar analysis of the situation" by India, EU when it comes to Afghanistan, and both are "looking to see if there are concrete areas where we can work." In Delhi, the EU special envoy met India’s Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla and JS PAI JP Singh. Niklasson has come to Delhi from Doha where he had talks with the Taliban delegation led by its Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. One of the key issues raised by the EU during the meet was human rights, women's rights, lack of inclusivity of Taliban-led govt, etc. Asked about if EU plans to recognise the regime, he said, "we are not rushing into recognition, we are not recognizing, we haven't recognized the Taliban regime, the interim govt. We do however see the need to engage with them".

WION Exclusive: EU Special envoy on Afghanistan lauds India's offer of humanitarian support to Kabul

With the US and western nations pushing the Taliban to honour women's rights, the official Twitter account of Afghanistan's government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has now shared a decree on women's rights.

In the months since the US withdrawal, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has been struggling to battle poverty, a “looming humanitarian crisis”, facing chronic poverty and drought.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghanistans-pm-urges-charities-to-keep-offering-aid-as-nation-battles-poverty-432485">Afghanistan's PM urges charities to keep offering aid as nation battles poverty</a>

Afghanistan and its new rulers have been asking international agencies for assistance in the past few months, and this decree may very well be an effort to appease foreign powers. This document, titled "Special Decree issued by Amir al-Momenin on Women's Rights", talks about the different rights that Afghan women will now have.

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Special Decree Issued by Amir al-Momenin on Women's Rights <a href="https://t.co/OEZYqiCE7R">https://t.co/OEZYqiCE7R</a> <a href="https://t.co/Y4xdq0gIQa">pic.twitter.com/Y4xdq0gIQa</a>
— Zabihullah (..ذبـــــیح الله م ) (@Zabehulah_M33) <a href="https://twitter.com/Zabehulah_M33/status/1466663907750256642?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2021</a></blockquote>
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One of the rights mentioned is marriage or Nekah (Nikah) rights. According to the decree, a woman's consent is necessary for marriage and coercion can't be used to force a woman into marriage.&nbsp;

It is also stated that widows have the right to choose and determine their future after the 'Sharaie Adat' period (four months and ten nights after husband's death or pregnancy) and also the right to marry.&nbsp;

The document then goes on to establish that women are not property "but a noble and free human being; no one can give her to anyone in exchange for peace deal and or to end animosity".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-ban-on-women-can-cost-economy-usd-1-billion-433652">Taliban ban on women can cost economy USD 1 billion</a>

A woman's property, heritage rights, and a husband's monetary obligations towards his wife/wives are also described in the document. It is mentioned that if a polygynous marriage occurs, the husband must maintain fairness among all of his wives according to Sharia law.

Furthermore, instructions have been given for the implementation of this decree to the Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs, the Ministry of Information and Culture, the Supreme Court, and Governors, district governors.&nbsp;

However, there is no mechanism in the document for handling grievances if these rights aren't recognized. It should also be noted that this remains a mere decree and isn't actually a law that can be enforced.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;WION Wideangle: Afghan Women: what's next?

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-wideangle-afghan-women-whats-next-397164/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Despite the Taliban's promise that it would be easier on women this time around, a tirade of diktats passed by the group proved anything but. It restricts what women can wear, forces them to cover from head to foot, prevents them from leaving their homes without a male companion, stops them from working and limits their education.

Whether this newly issued "special decree" will have the desired effect of providing women with fundamental rights or if 'fairer sex' will continue to be oppressed remains to be seen.&nbsp;

With the US and western nations pushing the Taliban to honour women's rights, the official Twitter account of Afghanistan's government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has now shared a decree on women's rights.

With the US and western nations pushing the Taliban to honour women's rights, the official Twitter account of Afghanistan's government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has now shared a decree on women's rights. In the months since the US withdrawal, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has been struggling to battle poverty, a “looming humanitarian crisis”, facing chronic poverty and drought. Also read | Afghanistan's PM urges charities to keep offering aid as nation battles poverty Afghanistan and its new rulers have been asking international agencies for assistance in the past few months, and this decree may very well be an effort to appease foreign powers. This document, titled "Special Decree issued by Amir al-Momenin on Women's Rights", talks about the different rights that Afghan women will now have. Special Decree Issued by Amir al-Momenin on Women's Rights https://t.co/OEZYqiCE7R pic.twitter.com/Y4xdq0gIQa — Zabihullah (..ذبـــــیح الله م ) (@Zabehulah_M33) December 3, 2021 × One of the rights mentioned is marriage or Nekah (Nikah) rights. According to the decree, a woman's consent is necessary for marriage and coercion can't be used to force a woman into marriage. It is also stated that widows have the right to choose and determine their future after the 'Sharaie Adat' period (four months and ten nights after husband's death or pregnancy) and also the right to marry. The document then goes on to establish that women are not property "but a noble and free human being; no one can give her to anyone in exchange for peace deal and or to end animosity". Also read | Taliban ban on women can cost economy USD 1 billion A woman's property, heritage rights, and a husband's monetary obligations towards his wife/wives are also described in the document. It is mentioned that if a polygynous marriage occurs, the husband must maintain fairness among all of his wives according to Sharia law. Furthermore, instructions have been given for the implementation of this decree to the Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs, the Ministry of Information and Culture, the Supreme Court, and Governors, district governors. However, there is no mechanism in the document for handling grievances if these rights aren't recognized. It should also be noted that this remains a mere decree and isn't actually a law that can be enforced. Watch | WION Wideangle: Afghan Women: what's next? Despite the Taliban's promise that it would be easier on women this time around, a tirade of diktats passed by the group proved anything but. It restricts what women can wear, forces them to cover from head to foot, prevents them from leaving their homes without a male companion, stops them from working and limits their education. Whether this newly issued "special decree" will have the desired effect of providing women with fundamental rights or if 'fairer sex' will continue to be oppressed remains to be seen.

Women are 'noble and free human beings': Taliban issues decree on women rights

The United Nations Accreditation Committee has denied the chosen representatives of Afghanistan and Myanmar at the world body. The committee responsible for approving nominations of ambassadors met Wednesday but deferred a decision over rival claims to the seats for both countries.

UN Committee denies Taliban & Myanmar Military Junta's seats the world body

The United Nations is due to decide on the ambassadors nominated by the Taliban in Afghanistan and military hunter in Myanmar as both are seeking greater international recognition.

United Nations to decide on Myanmar and Afghanistan representation

The Saudi Arabian government has called for an extraordinary meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to address the worsening humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

Saudi Press Agency reported that Saudi officials have reiterated on Monday that millions of Afghans face a deteriorating humanitarian crisis this winter and are in need of assistance and aid.

the country further mentioned that it anticipates peace disruption and national as well as global instability if the humanitarian crisis continues to deepen and deteriorate in Afghanistan.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/humanitarian-aid-may-be-released-to-afghanistan-by-the-world-bank-reports-432863">Humanitarian aid may be released to Afghanistan by the World Bank: Reports</a>

The Pakistani government has offered to host the meeting on December 17 in its capital, Islamabad.

"We have also offered to host the meeting, in Islamabad, on 17 December 2021. We are confident that the OIC Member States will endorse this offer," said Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

Saudi Arabia also stated that if the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan continues to deepen and deteriorate, it anticipates disruption of peace in the country and worldwide instability.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-demolished-ancient-buddha-statues-and-now-charge-tourists-5-to-watch-empty-holes-432664" hreflang="en">Taliban demolished ancient Buddha statues and now charge tourists $5 to watch empty holes</a>

"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as Chair of the Islamic Summit, and in line with relevant OIC decisions on&nbsp;Afghanistan, called upon the OIC to, urgently, convene an Extraordinary Ministerial Meeting to discuss the humanitarian situation in the country and pathways for an urgent humanitarian response," reported TOLOnews citing local press agency sources.

The Saudi Arabian government insists that member countries and international organizations attend the said meeting to put an end to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan as well as to ensure regional and international peace.

Watch |&nbsp;World Bank works to redirect frozen funds to Afghanistan for humanitarian aid only

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/world-bank-works-to-redirect-frozen-funds-to-afghanistan-for-humanitarian-aid-only-432957/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The humanitarian crisis and a complete economic collapse have been plaguing Afghanistan and its people since the Taliban took over the country.&nbsp;

According to the United Nations, around 22 million Afghans, or more than half of the country, will experience a severe food shortage this winter as a result of drought caused by global warming and an economic crisis aggravated by the Taliban's takeover.

The financial crisis worsened when Washington froze about $10 billion of Afghanistan's reserves and further deteriorated when the World Bank and &nbsp;International Monetary Fund blocked Afghanistan's access to funding.

The Saudi Arabian government has called for an extraordinary meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to address the worsening humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

The Saudi Arabian government has called for an extraordinary meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to address the worsening humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. Saudi Press Agency reported that Saudi officials have reiterated on Monday that millions of Afghans face a deteriorating humanitarian crisis this winter and are in need of assistance and aid. the country further mentioned that it anticipates peace disruption and national as well as global instability if the humanitarian crisis continues to deepen and deteriorate in Afghanistan. Also read | Humanitarian aid may be released to Afghanistan by the World Bank: Reports The Pakistani government has offered to host the meeting on December 17 in its capital, Islamabad. "We have also offered to host the meeting, in Islamabad, on 17 December 2021. We are confident that the OIC Member States will endorse this offer," said Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. Saudi Arabia also stated that if the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan continues to deepen and deteriorate, it anticipates disruption of peace in the country and worldwide instability. Also read | Taliban demolished ancient Buddha statues and now charge tourists $5 to watch empty holes "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as Chair of the Islamic Summit, and in line with relevant OIC decisions on Afghanistan, called upon the OIC to, urgently, convene an Extraordinary Ministerial Meeting to discuss the humanitarian situation in the country and pathways for an urgent humanitarian response," reported TOLOnews citing local press agency sources. The Saudi Arabian government insists that member countries and international organizations attend the said meeting to put an end to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan as well as to ensure regional and international peace. Watch | World Bank works to redirect frozen funds to Afghanistan for humanitarian aid only The humanitarian crisis and a complete economic collapse have been plaguing Afghanistan and its people since the Taliban took over the country. According to the United Nations, around 22 million Afghans, or more than half of the country, will experience a severe food shortage this winter as a result of drought caused by global warming and an economic crisis aggravated by the Taliban's takeover. The financial crisis worsened when Washington froze about $10 billion of Afghanistan's reserves and further deteriorated when the World Bank and International Monetary Fund blocked Afghanistan's access to funding.

Ahead of winters, Saudi Arabia calls for OIC meeting to address Afghanistan humanitarian crisis

In a compromise plan, the World Bank may divert funds intended for rebuilding efforts to humanitarian aid in Afghanistan, reports claim.

In an informal board meeting on Tuesday, the bank's management intends to discuss the proposal to re-direct funds from the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF) to support humanitarian efforts through the UN and other humanitarian agencies with presence and logistic capabilities in Afghanistan.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-and-911-families-fight-for-billions-in-frozen-afghan-funds-432862">Taliban and 9/11 families fight for billions in frozen Afghan funds</a>

According to the United Nations, around 22 million Afghans, or more than half of the country, will experience a severe food shortage this winter as a result of drought caused by global warming and an economic crisis aggravated by the Taliban's takeover.

The financial crisis worsened when Washington froze about $10 billion of Afghanistan's reserves and further deteriorated when the World Bank and &nbsp;International Monetary Fund blocked Afghanistan's access to funding.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-demolished-ancient-buddha-statues-and-now-charge-tourists-5-to-watch-empty-holes-432664">Taliban demolished ancient Buddha statues and now charge tourists $5 to watch empty holes</a>

In a Reuters report citing people familiar with the plan, the news agency reports that the World Bank plan is part of a compromise between the United Nations and the US government. This decision could result in a $500 million transfer from the ARTF to humanitarian groups.

If the aid would be unlocked, the Taliban would be bypassed. Donors of the ARTF, however, will determine the next steps and timing of the release.

In 2002, the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF) was established. It is a multi-donor trust fund that coordinates international aid to help millions of Afghans. World Bank manages the ARTF on behalf of 34 donors.

Watch |&nbsp;EU hold talks with Taliban in Doha, to release funds, reopen embassies

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/eu-hold-talks-with-taliban-in-doha-to-release-funds-reopen-embassies-432701/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

According to the ARTF website this fund "is the largest single source of funding for Afghanistan’s development, financing up to 30 per cent of Afghanistan’s civilian budget, and supporting core functions of the government".&nbsp;

ARTF has partnered with public programs since 2002 to reduce infant mortality and increase education enrolment.

(With inputs from agencies)

In a compromise plan, the World Bank may divert funds intended for rebuilding efforts to humanitarian aid in Afghanistan, reports claim. In an informal board meeting on Tuesday, the bank's management intends to discuss the proposal to re-direct funds from the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF) to support humanitarian efforts through the UN and other humanitarian agencies with presence and logistic capabilities in Afghanistan.

In a compromise plan, the World Bank may divert funds intended for rebuilding efforts to humanitarian aid in Afghanistan, reports claim. In an informal board meeting on Tuesday, the bank's management intends to discuss the proposal to re-direct funds from the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF) to support humanitarian efforts through the UN and other humanitarian agencies with presence and logistic capabilities in Afghanistan. Also read | Taliban and 9/11 families fight for billions in frozen Afghan funds According to the United Nations, around 22 million Afghans, or more than half of the country, will experience a severe food shortage this winter as a result of drought caused by global warming and an economic crisis aggravated by the Taliban's takeover. The financial crisis worsened when Washington froze about $10 billion of Afghanistan's reserves and further deteriorated when the World Bank and International Monetary Fund blocked Afghanistan's access to funding. Also read | Taliban demolished ancient Buddha statues and now charge tourists $5 to watch empty holes In a Reuters report citing people familiar with the plan, the news agency reports that the World Bank plan is part of a compromise between the United Nations and the US government. This decision could result in a $500 million transfer from the ARTF to humanitarian groups. If the aid would be unlocked, the Taliban would be bypassed. Donors of the ARTF, however, will determine the next steps and timing of the release. In 2002, the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF) was established. It is a multi-donor trust fund that coordinates international aid to help millions of Afghans. World Bank manages the ARTF on behalf of 34 donors. Watch | EU hold talks with Taliban in Doha, to release funds, reopen embassies According to the ARTF website this fund "is the largest single source of funding for Afghanistan’s development, financing up to 30 per cent of Afghanistan’s civilian budget, and supporting core functions of the government". ARTF has partnered with public programs since 2002 to reduce infant mortality and increase education enrolment. (With inputs from agencies)

Humanitarian aid may be released to Afghanistan by the World Bank: Reports

Nearly 20 years ago, about 150 family members of Sept. 11 victims sought a measure of justice for their losses by suing a list of targets like al-Qaida and the Taliban. A decade later, a court found the defendants liable by default and ordered them to pay damages now worth about $7 billion.

But with no way to collect it, the judgment seemed symbolic.

Today, however, the Taliban is back in control of Afghanistan. The group’s leaders say their country’s central bank account at the Federal Reserve in New York, in which the former government accumulated about $7 billion from foreign aid and other sources, is rightfully theirs. And that in turn has raised a question: If the money is the Taliban’s, shouldn’t the plaintiffs in the Sept. 11 lawsuit be entitled to seize it?

High-level officials in the Biden administration are now debating the answer to that question, which presents a complex knot of national security, legal, diplomatic and political problems — the latest example of how thorny issues stemming from the terrorist attacks remain unresolved more than two decades later.

Among the specifics to be worked out is whether and how the United States can sidestep any legal requirement to recognise the Taliban as the legitimate Afghan government in order to use the money in the central bank account to help resolve the claim by the Sept. 11 families.

The administration is scheduled to tell a court by Friday what outcome would be in the national interest, even as the United States grapples with broader issues arising from the end of the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan. In addition to recognition, they include how to provide humanitarian aid that might forestall a mass exodus of migrants.

The Justice Department has been negotiating with lawyers for the Sept. 11 plaintiffs about a potential deal to divide up the money if the government supports their attempt to seize it, and the White House’s National Security Council has been working with agencies across the government to weigh the proposal, according to people who described the deliberations on condition of anonymity.

In a statement, two of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit — Fiona Havlish, whose husband worked on the 101st floor of the South Tower, and Ellen Saracini, whose husband was a pilot of one of the hijacked planes that flew into the World Trade Center — said the administration should help their cause.

“After our husbands were killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, we have spent many years fighting to achieve justice on their behalf,” they said. “Together with the others in our case, we obtained an enforceable money judgment against the Taliban and now call on President Biden to ensure the funds we have attached go to us and not the terrorists who played a role in taking the lives of our loved ones.”

Any transfer of the Afghan central bank reserves is sure to infuriate the Taliban at a moment when the West is trying to pressure and coax the organization into behaving differently than it did when it last ran that country, on matters ranging from respecting women’s rights to refusing to host international terrorist groups. The Taliban have been demanding access to the funds.

The National Security Council declined to provide a statement for this article, and much remains unclear about the parameters of what the US&nbsp;government can do — let alone what decision it will make, several people familiar with the matter said.

After the Taliban abruptly took military control of the country in August, the New York Federal Reserve blocked access to the Afghan central bank’s account. Under long-standing counterterrorism sanctions imposed on the Taliban by the US, it is illegal to engage in financial transactions with them.

Shortly afterward, lawyers for the families in the old default judgment case persuaded a judge to issue an order that started the process of transferring the money to them to pay off the debt. On Sept. 13, a US&nbsp;Marshal served the legal department of the Federal Reserve of New York with a “writ of execution” to seize the money.

Further complicating matters, a second group of plaintiffs in a smaller case — brought in the Northern District of Texas by seven State Department contractors who were injured in a 2016 terrorist attack in Afghanistan — are also seeking to seize a portion of the funds to pay off a $138 million default judgment against a list of defendants that included the Taliban.

The Justice Department has intervened in both cases, invoking a power to inject the government into any pending litigation and inform the court about how the United States views its interests. The litigation has been frozen awaiting its statement, court documents show.

Behind the scenes, lawyers for the plaintiffs opened negotiations with the Justice Department. They have proposed a deal to divide the $7 billion among three categories of recipients if the Biden administration backs them in court, the people familiar with the matter said.

Under the proposal, the plaintiffs, as holders of the default judgment, would keep some of that money, while redirecting the rest of it to two other purposes.

Some of the remaining money would go to several thousand spouses and children of those killed in the Sept. 11 attacks who were not part of the lawsuit, and who for technical reasons did not receive certain payments from a compensation fund for victims of terrorism set up by Congress.

The other portion would be donated to various organizations that perform humanitarian work — like providing lifesaving food and medicine — to people in Afghanistan.

It is not clear how much money would go into each of those three pots; the people familiar with the discussions said the numbers remain subject to negotiation. The proposed deal would not give any payout to other relatives of victims of the Sept. 11 attacks.

One person familiar with the matter said that in its internal deliberations, the Biden team has four priorities guiding it.

First, the person said, the administration is determined that no money from the Afghan government reserves go directly to the Taliban.

Second, the person said, the Biden administration recognizes that Afghanistan has acute humanitarian needs and so some share of the reserves should be used to address that problem.

Third, the person said, the administration sees the claims by the terrorist attack victims as legitimate and believes those need to be addressed through those funds as well.

And fourth, the person said, the Biden administration will not recognize the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan — a step that would have myriad other legal and diplomatic consequences — to resolve the Afghan central bank funds issue. Instead, it will address that question as circumstances warrant and on its own timetable.

Several people familiar with the matter said it might not be legally necessary to recognize the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan in order to seize the central bank funds to pay off the legal judgment. Instead, they said, a judge might find that the organization merely has a sufficient interest in the funds to make seizing them lawful.

The negotiations come as the Taliban have been separately lobbying to gain access to Afghan central bank funds in the United States, along with smaller deposits in Europe. On Nov. 17, the acting Taliban foreign affairs minister released a public letter to the U.S. Congress imploring it to release the funds, saying there was no justification in blocking them now that the war is over and they were needed to avert a humanitarian crisis this winter.

“We are of the belief that freezing Afghan assets cannot resolve the problem at hand neither is it the demand of the American people, hence your government must unfreeze our capital,” he said. “We are concerned that if the current situation prevails, the Afghan government and people will face problems and will become a cause for mass migration in the region and world which will consequently create further humanitarian and economic issues for the world.”

But the US&nbsp;government rebuffed the Taliban’s message in a statement by Thomas West, the special representative for Afghanistan, even as he said the United States would continue to provide humanitarian aid to the Afghan people.

“We’ve provided $474 million this year, applaud the robust efforts of Allies &amp; partners in this space, &amp; are making every effort to help the UN &amp; humanitarian actors scale up to meet needs this winter,” West wrote on Twitter.

The issue of how to direct greater humanitarian aid to Afghanistan is said to be a particular problem in light of the political sensitivities of asking Congress for more money and strong policy opposition within the Biden administration to any transfer of funds to the Taliban itself.

Another person familiar with the matter said that the Biden administration is considering another option, especially if a judge rules that it would not be lawful to use the Afghan government assets to satisfy the plaintiffs’ judgments against the Taliban.

Under this second option, if someone deemed to be an authorized representative of the Afghan central bank consented to transfer some of the funds directly to nongovernmental organizations performing humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control could grant a license to permit that step. Determining who that person would be, however, presents additional difficulties.

Nearly 20 years ago, about 150 family members of Sept. 11 victims sought a measure of justice for their losses by suing a list of targets like al-Qaida and the Taliban.

Nearly 20 years ago, about 150 family members of Sept. 11 victims sought a measure of justice for their losses by suing a list of targets like al-Qaida and the Taliban. A decade later, a court found the defendants liable by default and ordered them to pay damages now worth about $7 billion. But with no way to collect it, the judgment seemed symbolic. Today, however, the Taliban is back in control of Afghanistan. The group’s leaders say their country’s central bank account at the Federal Reserve in New York, in which the former government accumulated about $7 billion from foreign aid and other sources, is rightfully theirs. And that in turn has raised a question: If the money is the Taliban’s, shouldn’t the plaintiffs in the Sept. 11 lawsuit be entitled to seize it? High-level officials in the Biden administration are now debating the answer to that question, which presents a complex knot of national security, legal, diplomatic and political problems — the latest example of how thorny issues stemming from the terrorist attacks remain unresolved more than two decades later. Among the specifics to be worked out is whether and how the United States can sidestep any legal requirement to recognise the Taliban as the legitimate Afghan government in order to use the money in the central bank account to help resolve the claim by the Sept. 11 families. The administration is scheduled to tell a court by Friday what outcome would be in the national interest, even as the United States grapples with broader issues arising from the end of the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan. In addition to recognition, they include how to provide humanitarian aid that might forestall a mass exodus of migrants. The Justice Department has been negotiating with lawyers for the Sept. 11 plaintiffs about a potential deal to divide up the money if the government supports their attempt to seize it, and the White House’s National Security Council has been working with agencies across the government to weigh the proposal, according to people who described the deliberations on condition of anonymity. In a statement, two of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit — Fiona Havlish, whose husband worked on the 101st floor of the South Tower, and Ellen Saracini, whose husband was a pilot of one of the hijacked planes that flew into the World Trade Center — said the administration should help their cause. “After our husbands were killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, we have spent many years fighting to achieve justice on their behalf,” they said. “Together with the others in our case, we obtained an enforceable money judgment against the Taliban and now call on President Biden to ensure the funds we have attached go to us and not the terrorists who played a role in taking the lives of our loved ones.” Any transfer of the Afghan central bank reserves is sure to infuriate the Taliban at a moment when the West is trying to pressure and coax the organization into behaving differently than it did when it last ran that country, on matters ranging from respecting women’s rights to refusing to host international terrorist groups. The Taliban have been demanding access to the funds. The National Security Council declined to provide a statement for this article, and much remains unclear about the parameters of what the US government can do — let alone what decision it will make, several people familiar with the matter said. After the Taliban abruptly took military control of the country in August, the New York Federal Reserve blocked access to the Afghan central bank’s account. Under long-standing counterterrorism sanctions imposed on the Taliban by the US, it is illegal to engage in financial transactions with them. Shortly afterward, lawyers for the families in the old default judgment case persuaded a judge to issue an order that started the process of transferring the money to them to pay off the debt. On Sept. 13, a US Marshal served the legal department of the Federal Reserve of New York with a “writ of execution” to seize the money. Further complicating matters, a second group of plaintiffs in a smaller case — brought in the Northern District of Texas by seven State Department contractors who were injured in a 2016 terrorist attack in Afghanistan — are also seeking to seize a portion of the funds to pay off a $138 million default judgment against a list of defendants that included the Taliban. The Justice Department has intervened in both cases, invoking a power to inject the government into any pending litigation and inform the court about how the United States views its interests. The litigation has been frozen awaiting its statement, court documents show. Behind the scenes, lawyers for the plaintiffs opened negotiations with the Justice Department. They have proposed a deal to divide the $7 billion among three categories of recipients if the Biden administration backs them in court, the people familiar with the matter said. Under the proposal, the plaintiffs, as holders of the default judgment, would keep some of that money, while redirecting the rest of it to two other purposes. Some of the remaining money would go to several thousand spouses and children of those killed in the Sept. 11 attacks who were not part of the lawsuit, and who for technical reasons did not receive certain payments from a compensation fund for victims of terrorism set up by Congress. The other portion would be donated to various organizations that perform humanitarian work — like providing lifesaving food and medicine — to people in Afghanistan. It is not clear how much money would go into each of those three pots; the people familiar with the discussions said the numbers remain subject to negotiation. The proposed deal would not give any payout to other relatives of victims of the Sept. 11 attacks. One person familiar with the matter said that in its internal deliberations, the Biden team has four priorities guiding it. First, the person said, the administration is determined that no money from the Afghan government reserves go directly to the Taliban. Second, the person said, the Biden administration recognizes that Afghanistan has acute humanitarian needs and so some share of the reserves should be used to address that problem. Third, the person said, the administration sees the claims by the terrorist attack victims as legitimate and believes those need to be addressed through those funds as well. And fourth, the person said, the Biden administration will not recognize the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan — a step that would have myriad other legal and diplomatic consequences — to resolve the Afghan central bank funds issue. Instead, it will address that question as circumstances warrant and on its own timetable. Several people familiar with the matter said it might not be legally necessary to recognize the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan in order to seize the central bank funds to pay off the legal judgment. Instead, they said, a judge might find that the organization merely has a sufficient interest in the funds to make seizing them lawful. The negotiations come as the Taliban have been separately lobbying to gain access to Afghan central bank funds in the United States, along with smaller deposits in Europe. On Nov. 17, the acting Taliban foreign affairs minister released a public letter to the U.S. Congress imploring it to release the funds, saying there was no justification in blocking them now that the war is over and they were needed to avert a humanitarian crisis this winter. “We are of the belief that freezing Afghan assets cannot resolve the problem at hand neither is it the demand of the American people, hence your government must unfreeze our capital,” he said. “We are concerned that if the current situation prevails, the Afghan government and people will face problems and will become a cause for mass migration in the region and world which will consequently create further humanitarian and economic issues for the world.” But the US government rebuffed the Taliban’s message in a statement by Thomas West, the special representative for Afghanistan, even as he said the United States would continue to provide humanitarian aid to the Afghan people. “We’ve provided $474 million this year, applaud the robust efforts of Allies & partners in this space, & are making every effort to help the UN & humanitarian actors scale up to meet needs this winter,” West wrote on Twitter. The issue of how to direct greater humanitarian aid to Afghanistan is said to be a particular problem in light of the political sensitivities of asking Congress for more money and strong policy opposition within the Biden administration to any transfer of funds to the Taliban itself. Another person familiar with the matter said that the Biden administration is considering another option, especially if a judge rules that it would not be lawful to use the Afghan government assets to satisfy the plaintiffs’ judgments against the Taliban. Under this second option, if someone deemed to be an authorized representative of the Afghan central bank consented to transfer some of the funds directly to nongovernmental organizations performing humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control could grant a license to permit that step. Determining who that person would be, however, presents additional difficulties.

Taliban and 9/11 families fight for billions in frozen Afghan funds

A Taliban official has claimed that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has banned Afghanistan’s former president Ashraf Ghani from engaging in Afghan politics.

Ghani and his family members have been living in exile in UAE after the Taliban ousted the civilian government in Kabul in mid-August.&nbsp;

The Taliban's deputy spokesperson Ahmadullah Wasiq said the UAE had also barred Ghani's former national security adviser Hamdullah Mohib and the governor of Balikh province Atta Muhammad Noor from engaging in political activities.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/taliban-have-won-rise-and-fall-of-afghan-president-ashraf-ghani-405867">'Taliban have won': Rise and fall of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani</a>

“The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has banned all officials in Ashraf Ghani’s administration living in Dubai and other cities. This restriction includes Ashraf Ghani, Atta Noor and Mohib,” Wasiq tweeted on Sunday in the Pashto language.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-and-911-families-fight-for-billions-in-frozen-afghan-funds-432862">Taliban and 9/11 families fight for billions in frozen Afghan funds</a>

However, relatives of the former Afghan president, and Ata Mohammad Noor, leader of the splinter faction of the Jamiat-e-Islami Afghanistan, denied that such restrictions were being imposed, reports TOLO news.

Watch

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/taliban-uae-bans-ashraf-ghani-from-taking-part-in-afghanistan-politics-433034/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

“The policy that the UAE has towards politicians living there means that it doesn’t allow anyone to engage in political activities. These procedures are not only for president Ashraf Ghani. These procedures were imposed on&nbsp;Benazir Bhutto and the former prime minister of Thailand,” said Hashmat Ghani, brother of the former president.

According to TOLO news, the UAE has neither verified nor issued any remark on the claimed constraints on the former Afghan President&nbsp;and his advisers' involvement in political activities.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/national-geographics-famous-green-eyed-afghan-girl-arrived-in-italy-after-evacuation-431991">National Geographic’s famous green-eyed 'Afghan Girl' arrived in Italy after evacuation</a>

This comes amid reports that UAE held secret talks with the Taliban to run the Kabul Hamid Karzai International Airport.

UAE officials have held a series of discussions with the group in recent weeks to discuss operating the airport that serves as landlocked Afghanistan's main air link to the world, the foreign diplomats based in the Gulf region told Reuters.

UAE is reportedly keen to counter diplomatic clout enjoyed there by Qatar, which has been helping in running the Kabul airport along with Turkey after playing a major role in evacuation efforts following the chaotic US withdrawal in August.

(With inputs from agencies)

A Taliban official has claimed that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has banned Afghanistan’s former president Ashraf Ghani from engaging in Afghan politics. Ghani and his family members have been living in exile in UAE after the Taliban ousted the civilian government in Kabul in mid-August.

A Taliban official has claimed that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has banned Afghanistan’s former president Ashraf Ghani from engaging in Afghan politics. Ghani and his family members have been living in exile in UAE after the Taliban ousted the civilian government in Kabul in mid-August. The Taliban's deputy spokesperson Ahmadullah Wasiq said the UAE had also barred Ghani's former national security adviser Hamdullah Mohib and the governor of Balikh province Atta Muhammad Noor from engaging in political activities. Also read | 'Taliban have won': Rise and fall of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani “The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has banned all officials in Ashraf Ghani’s administration living in Dubai and other cities. This restriction includes Ashraf Ghani, Atta Noor and Mohib,” Wasiq tweeted on Sunday in the Pashto language. Also read | Taliban and 9/11 families fight for billions in frozen Afghan funds However, relatives of the former Afghan president, and Ata Mohammad Noor, leader of the splinter faction of the Jamiat-e-Islami Afghanistan, denied that such restrictions were being imposed, reports TOLO news. Watch “The policy that the UAE has towards politicians living there means that it doesn’t allow anyone to engage in political activities. These procedures are not only for president Ashraf Ghani. These procedures were imposed on Benazir Bhutto and the former prime minister of Thailand,” said Hashmat Ghani, brother of the former president. According to TOLO news, the UAE has neither verified nor issued any remark on the claimed constraints on the former Afghan President and his advisers' involvement in political activities. Also read | National Geographic’s famous green-eyed 'Afghan Girl' arrived in Italy after evacuation This comes amid reports that UAE held secret talks with the Taliban to run the Kabul Hamid Karzai International Airport. UAE officials have held a series of discussions with the group in recent weeks to discuss operating the airport that serves as landlocked Afghanistan's main air link to the world, the foreign diplomats based in the Gulf region told Reuters. UAE is reportedly keen to counter diplomatic clout enjoyed there by Qatar, which has been helping in running the Kabul airport along with Turkey after playing a major role in evacuation efforts following the chaotic US withdrawal in August. (With inputs from agencies)

Taliban claim UAE banned ex-president Ghani from engaging in Afghan politics

A Taliban official has claimed that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has banned former Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani from engaging in Afghan politics while living in Dubai.

Taliban: UAE bans Ashraf Ghani from taking part in Afghanistan politics

It's been more than 100 days since former Afghanistan president Ashraf Ghani fled to the UAE as the Taliban stormed took power in Kabul. Since then Ashraf Ghani has stayed away from politics and the public eye.

Did UAE set conditions for Afghanistan's former president Ashraf Ghani?

Afghanistan's Taliban regime scrambles to get funds to revive its shrinking economy. World Bank has now decided to finalise a proposal to deliver up to 500 million dollars from a frozen Afghanistan aid fund to humanitarian agencies.

World Bank works to redirect frozen funds to Afghanistan for humanitarian aid only

Delegates of Taliban and European Union held meetings in Doha to discuss situation in Afghanistan, said Tolo News. As per the report, political and economic issues along with humanitarian aid was discussed.

"Taliban and European delegates met yesterday and today and discussed issues related to various issues in Afghanistan," Tolo tweeted quoting spokesman of the Islamic Emirate`s political office in Qatar, Mohammad Naeem as sayingtweeted Mohammad Naeem, spokesman of the Islamic Emirate`s political office in Qatar.

Afghanistan has plunged into economic crisis after Taliban took to power in August this year. A day before Taliban's meet with the EU, the Talibani delegation met the special envoy of Qatar's ministry of foreign affairs, Mutlaq Al Qahtani.

to discuss ways to improve humanitarian assistance for Afghan citizens.

This meeting comes as a delegation from the Taliban is currently visiting Qatar, where a new round of negotiations between the outfit and the US will start next week.

"The delegations discussed topics related to counterterrorism, enhancing human rights and humanitarian aid. The two sides stressed on the importance of having humanitarian aid reach its beneficiaries, especially with the winter season approaching," Qatar`s ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement on Friday, as quoted by Russian News agency Sputnik.

The US Special Representative for Afghanistan, Tom West will be meeting with the Taliban leaders in Doha next week."They`ll discuss ... our vital national interests when it comes to Afghanistan," said State Department spokesperson Ned Price, reported Tolo News.

"That includes counterterrorism, that includes a safe passage for US citizens and for Afghans to whom we have a special commitment and that includes humanitarian assistance and the economic situation of the country," he added.

On November 8, West started his first trip in this role to Europe and Asia as the US special envoy for Afghanistan. He visited Brussels and consulted with EU and US allies on Afghanistan.Further, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its report has mentioned that the Afghan economy could shrink by 30% or more year on year which could lead to a famine situation.

(With inputs from agencies)

Delegates of Taliban and European Union held meetings in Doha to discuss situation in Afghanistan, said Tolo News. As per the report, political and economic issues along with humanitarian aid was discussed.

Delegates of Taliban and European Union held meetings in Doha to discuss situation in Afghanistan, said Tolo News. As per the report, political and economic issues along with humanitarian aid was discussed. "Taliban and European delegates met yesterday and today and discussed issues related to various issues in Afghanistan," Tolo tweeted quoting spokesman of the Islamic Emirate`s political office in Qatar, Mohammad Naeem as sayingtweeted Mohammad Naeem, spokesman of the Islamic Emirate`s political office in Qatar. Afghanistan has plunged into economic crisis after Taliban took to power in August this year. A day before Taliban's meet with the EU, the Talibani delegation met the special envoy of Qatar's ministry of foreign affairs, Mutlaq Al Qahtani. to discuss ways to improve humanitarian assistance for Afghan citizens. This meeting comes as a delegation from the Taliban is currently visiting Qatar, where a new round of negotiations between the outfit and the US will start next week. "The delegations discussed topics related to counterterrorism, enhancing human rights and humanitarian aid. The two sides stressed on the importance of having humanitarian aid reach its beneficiaries, especially with the winter season approaching," Qatar`s ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement on Friday, as quoted by Russian News agency Sputnik. The US Special Representative for Afghanistan, Tom West will be meeting with the Taliban leaders in Doha next week."They`ll discuss ... our vital national interests when it comes to Afghanistan," said State Department spokesperson Ned Price, reported Tolo News. "That includes counterterrorism, that includes a safe passage for US citizens and for Afghans to whom we have a special commitment and that includes humanitarian assistance and the economic situation of the country," he added. On November 8, West started his first trip in this role to Europe and Asia as the US special envoy for Afghanistan. He visited Brussels and consulted with EU and US allies on Afghanistan.Further, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its report has mentioned that the Afghan economy could shrink by 30% or more year on year which could lead to a famine situation. (With inputs from agencies)

Taliban-EU delegates hold discussion on situation in the country

Delegates of the Taliban and the European Union held meetings in Doha to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. As per the report, political and economic issues along with humanitarian aid was discussed.

EU hold talks with Taliban in Doha, to release funds, reopen embassies

Urging international charities to keep offering aid to Afghanistan, new Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund pledged that his government will "not interfere" in other countries' internal affairs. Ever since the Taliban took over Afghanistan, the country has been struggling to battle poverty. There is also a threat of a “looming humanitarian crisis” in the country. Afghanistan had already been facing chronic poverty and drought but the situation has deteriorated since the Taliban seized power.

In his first address to the nation since the Taliban took over, Hassan said,&nbsp;"We assure all the countries that we will not interfere in their internal affairs and we want to have good economic relations with them."

He added, "We are drowned in our problems and we are trying to get the strength to bring our people out of miseries and hardships with God's help."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/kabul-residents-worried-about-crashing-economy-as-winter-approaches-427414">Also read |&nbsp;Kabul residents worried about crashing economy as winter approaches</a>

In September, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that its engagement with Afghanistan will remain suspended until there is clarity&nbsp;on the recognition of the government led by the Taliban.

"We ask all the international charity organisations to not withhold their aid and to help our exhausted nation... so that the problems of the people could be solved," Hassan said in his speech.

During a news conference, IMF spokesperson Gerry Rice told reporters, "Our engagement with Afghanistan has been suspended until there is clarity within the international community on the recognition of the government".

Many Afghans have been selling possessions to buy food as the Taliban is unable to pay wages to civil servants. Also, the urban communities are facing food insecurity similar to rural areas.&nbsp;

UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch has said that around 9 million Afghans are "just one step away from starvation." He further added that 700,000 people, mostly women and children, have been displaced this year alone.

(With inputs from agencies)

Urging international charities to keep offering aid to Afghanistan, new Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund pledged that his government will "not interfere" in other countries' internal affairs.

Urging international charities to keep offering aid to Afghanistan, new Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund pledged that his government will "not interfere" in other countries' internal affairs. Ever since the Taliban took over Afghanistan, the country has been struggling to battle poverty. There is also a threat of a “looming humanitarian crisis” in the country. Afghanistan had already been facing chronic poverty and drought but the situation has deteriorated since the Taliban seized power. In his first address to the nation since the Taliban took over, Hassan said, "We assure all the countries that we will not interfere in their internal affairs and we want to have good economic relations with them." He added, "We are drowned in our problems and we are trying to get the strength to bring our people out of miseries and hardships with God's help." Also read | Kabul residents worried about crashing economy as winter approaches In September, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that its engagement with Afghanistan will remain suspended until there is clarity on the recognition of the government led by the Taliban. "We ask all the international charity organisations to not withhold their aid and to help our exhausted nation... so that the problems of the people could be solved," Hassan said in his speech. During a news conference, IMF spokesperson Gerry Rice told reporters, "Our engagement with Afghanistan has been suspended until there is clarity within the international community on the recognition of the government". Many Afghans have been selling possessions to buy food as the Taliban is unable to pay wages to civil servants. Also, the urban communities are facing food insecurity similar to rural areas. UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch has said that around 9 million Afghans are "just one step away from starvation." He further added that 700,000 people, mostly women and children, have been displaced this year alone. (With inputs from agencies)

Afghanistan's PM urges charities to keep offering aid as nation battles poverty

Taliban rulers are now seeking help from world powers to revive the sinking economy. Taliban co-founder said that his govt will not interfere in other countries' internal affairs and also urged international charities to continue offering aid to the war ravaged nation.

Taliban rulers seek help from world powers to revive sinking economy

The Taliban have seized Afghanistan, and this school could not be prouder.

Darul Uloom Haqqania madrassa, one of Pakistan’s largest and oldest seminaries, has educated more Taliban leaders than any school in the world. Now its alumni hold key positions in Afghanistan.

The school’s critics call it a university of jihad and blame it for helping to sow violence across the region for decades. And they worry that extremist madrassas and the Islamist parties linked to them could be emboldened by the Taliban’s victory, potentially fueling further radicalism in Pakistan despite that country’s efforts to bring more than 30,000 seminaries under greater government control.

The school says it has changed and has argued that the Taliban should be given the chance to show they have moved beyond their bloody ways since they first ruled Afghanistan two decades ago.

“The world has seen their capabilities to run the country through their victories on both the diplomatic front and on the battlefield,” said Rashidul Haq Sami, the seminary’s vice chancellor.

A Taliban softening is far from assured, given a surge of violence earlier this year, reports of reprisal killings inside the country, limits on girls going to school and clampdowns on free expression. But Sami argued that the Taliban takeover could have been even bloodier, signaling that they “would not repeat the mistakes of the 1990s.”

Darul Uloom Haqqania, about 60 miles from the Afghan border, has had an outsize effect there. The seminary’s alumni founded the Taliban movement and ruled Afghanistan in the 1990s. Pakistan’s powerful military often uses its leaders to influence the Taliban, experts say.

Its late chancellor, Samiul Haq, who was murdered at his residence in Islamabad in 2018 and was Sami’s father, was known as the “father of the Taliban.”

“Being the alma mater of scores of Taliban leaders, Haqqania certainly commands their respect,” said Azmat Abbas, author of “Madrassa Mirage: A Contemporary History of Islamic Schools in Pakistan.”

Sirajuddin Haqqani, 41, who led much of the Taliban’s military efforts and carries a $5 million bounty from the U.S. government on his head, is the new acting interior minister of Afghanistan and an alumnus. So is Amir Khan Muttaqi, the new foreign minister, and Abdul Baqi Haqqani, the higher education minister.

The justice minister, the chief of the Afghan water and power ministry, and a variety of governors, military commanders and judges also passed through the Haqqania seminary, school administrators say.

“We feel proud that our students in Afghanistan had first broken the Soviet Union and now sent the U.S. packing,” Sami said. “It is an honor for the madrassa that its graduates are now ministers and hold high positions in the Taliban government.”

Many of the alumni adopt the name Haqqani as a symbol of pride. The Haqqani network — the Taliban’s military wing, responsible for hostage-taking of Americans, complex suicide attacks and targeted assassinations — is named after the madrassa and retains connections there.

More than 4,000 students, mostly from poor families, attend the sprawling seminary, a collection of multistory concrete buildings in a small riverside town just east of the city of Peshawar. Courses range from the memorization of the Quran to Arabic literature.

On a recent visit, a scholar delivered a lecture on Islamic jurisprudence to a packed hall of 1,500 final-year students. They burst into giggles at one instructor’s jokes. Other students lined up outside for lunch and played volleyball or cricket.

Among them, the Taliban victory is a source of great pride.

“The Taliban have finally defeated the U.S. after struggling for almost 20 years, and the entire world accepts this fact,” said Abdul Wali, a 21-year-old student. “It also shows the farsightedness and commitment of our teachers and former alumni about Afghanistan.”

Wali praised Haqqania as a premier place to memorize the Quran, which some Muslims believe will get them and their families into heaven. “Haqqania is one of the few prestigious madrassas in the country where students consider studying an honor because of its history, the prominent scholars teaching there and its quality Islamic education,” he said.

Pakistan has long had an uneasy relationship with madrassas like Haqqania. Leaders who once saw the seminaries as a way to influence events in Afghanistan now see them as a source of conflict within Pakistan. The country has its own Taliban movement, the Pakistani Taliban, or TTP, which has been responsible for a slew of violent attacks in recent years. The two sides reached a cease-fire this month.

Renewed signs of radicalism in madrassas have appeared, especially since the fall of Kabul, Afghanistan. Students have held pro-Taliban rallies. At the Red Mosque in Islamabad, the site of a deadly raid by security personnel 14 years ago, Taliban flags were raised above a girls’ madrassa next door.

Meanwhile, the usefulness of the madrassas has declined, as Pakistani officials have more recently taken a more direct role in Afghanistan’s affairs, said Muhammad Israr Madani, an Islamabad-based researcher focusing on religious affairs.

Amid those pressures, Pakistan’s government has tried a mix of financial support and behind-the-scenes prodding to dial down radicalism within the seminaries.

The government of Prime Minister Imran Khan gave the Haqqania seminary $1.6 million in 2018 and $1.7 million in 2017 for “mainstreaming” it. The funds helped the madrassa construct a new building, a badminton court and a computer lab, among other projects.

Haqqania has broadened its curriculum to include English, math and computer science. It demands full documentation from foreign students, including those from Afghanistan, and administrators said it adopted a zero-tolerance policy for anti-state activities.

Experts on education in Pakistan say that the effort has had some success and that Haqqania does not advocate militancy like it once did.

Still, they said, such madrassas teach a narrow interpretation of Islam. Lessons focus on how to argue with opposing faiths rather than critical thinking, and stress enforcement of practices like punishing theft with amputation and sex outside marriage with stoning. That makes some of their students vulnerable to recruitment from militant groups.

“In an environment of widespread support for the Taliban, both with the government and society, it would be naive to hope that madrassas and other mainstream educational institutions would adopt a teaching approach other than a pro-Taliban one,” said Abbas, the author.

The school’s syllabus may be less influential than individual instructors.

“Whenever a madrassa student is found engaged in an act of violence, the wider approach is to hold the madrassa system and its syllabus responsible for the ill, and no attention is paid to the teacher or teachers who influenced the student,” Abbas said.

Graduates who had studied at Haqqania in the 1980s and 1990s said they did not receive any military training. Some, however, said teachers often discussed jihad openly and encouraged students to join Afghanistan’s insurgency. One, named Ali, said students could easily slip into Afghanistan to fight during seminary vacations. He requested that only his last name be used, citing security concerns.

Sami, the vice chancellor, said students were neither trained for combat nor obliged to fight in Afghanistan.

School administrators point to recent statements by some groups in Afghanistan as reflective moderate teachings. After the Taliban captured Kabul, the Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam-Sami party, founded by Sami’s father, urged them to ensure the safety of Afghans and foreigners, particularly diplomats; protect the rights of religious and ethnic minorities; and allow women access to higher education.

In any case, Sami said, the world has little choice but to trust the Taliban’s ability to govern.

“I advise the international community to give a chance to the Taliban to run the country,” he said. “If they are not allowed to work, there will be a new civil war in Afghanistan, and it will affect the entire region.”

The Taliban have seized Afghanistan, and this school could not be prouder. Darul Uloom Haqqania madrassa, one of Pakistan’s largest and oldest seminaries, has educated more Taliban leaders than any school in the world.

The Taliban have seized Afghanistan, and this school could not be prouder. Darul Uloom Haqqania madrassa, one of Pakistan’s largest and oldest seminaries, has educated more Taliban leaders than any school in the world. Now its alumni hold key positions in Afghanistan. The school’s critics call it a university of jihad and blame it for helping to sow violence across the region for decades. And they worry that extremist madrassas and the Islamist parties linked to them could be emboldened by the Taliban’s victory, potentially fueling further radicalism in Pakistan despite that country’s efforts to bring more than 30,000 seminaries under greater government control. The school says it has changed and has argued that the Taliban should be given the chance to show they have moved beyond their bloody ways since they first ruled Afghanistan two decades ago. “The world has seen their capabilities to run the country through their victories on both the diplomatic front and on the battlefield,” said Rashidul Haq Sami, the seminary’s vice chancellor. A Taliban softening is far from assured, given a surge of violence earlier this year, reports of reprisal killings inside the country, limits on girls going to school and clampdowns on free expression. But Sami argued that the Taliban takeover could have been even bloodier, signaling that they “would not repeat the mistakes of the 1990s.” Darul Uloom Haqqania, about 60 miles from the Afghan border, has had an outsize effect there. The seminary’s alumni founded the Taliban movement and ruled Afghanistan in the 1990s. Pakistan’s powerful military often uses its leaders to influence the Taliban, experts say. Its late chancellor, Samiul Haq, who was murdered at his residence in Islamabad in 2018 and was Sami’s father, was known as the “father of the Taliban.” “Being the alma mater of scores of Taliban leaders, Haqqania certainly commands their respect,” said Azmat Abbas, author of “Madrassa Mirage: A Contemporary History of Islamic Schools in Pakistan.” Sirajuddin Haqqani, 41, who led much of the Taliban’s military efforts and carries a $5 million bounty from the U.S. government on his head, is the new acting interior minister of Afghanistan and an alumnus. So is Amir Khan Muttaqi, the new foreign minister, and Abdul Baqi Haqqani, the higher education minister. The justice minister, the chief of the Afghan water and power ministry, and a variety of governors, military commanders and judges also passed through the Haqqania seminary, school administrators say. “We feel proud that our students in Afghanistan had first broken the Soviet Union and now sent the U.S. packing,” Sami said. “It is an honor for the madrassa that its graduates are now ministers and hold high positions in the Taliban government.” Many of the alumni adopt the name Haqqani as a symbol of pride. The Haqqani network — the Taliban’s military wing, responsible for hostage-taking of Americans, complex suicide attacks and targeted assassinations — is named after the madrassa and retains connections there. More than 4,000 students, mostly from poor families, attend the sprawling seminary, a collection of multistory concrete buildings in a small riverside town just east of the city of Peshawar. Courses range from the memorization of the Quran to Arabic literature. On a recent visit, a scholar delivered a lecture on Islamic jurisprudence to a packed hall of 1,500 final-year students. They burst into giggles at one instructor’s jokes. Other students lined up outside for lunch and played volleyball or cricket. Among them, the Taliban victory is a source of great pride. “The Taliban have finally defeated the U.S. after struggling for almost 20 years, and the entire world accepts this fact,” said Abdul Wali, a 21-year-old student. “It also shows the farsightedness and commitment of our teachers and former alumni about Afghanistan.” Wali praised Haqqania as a premier place to memorize the Quran, which some Muslims believe will get them and their families into heaven. “Haqqania is one of the few prestigious madrassas in the country where students consider studying an honor because of its history, the prominent scholars teaching there and its quality Islamic education,” he said. Pakistan has long had an uneasy relationship with madrassas like Haqqania. Leaders who once saw the seminaries as a way to influence events in Afghanistan now see them as a source of conflict within Pakistan. The country has its own Taliban movement, the Pakistani Taliban, or TTP, which has been responsible for a slew of violent attacks in recent years. The two sides reached a cease-fire this month. Renewed signs of radicalism in madrassas have appeared, especially since the fall of Kabul, Afghanistan. Students have held pro-Taliban rallies. At the Red Mosque in Islamabad, the site of a deadly raid by security personnel 14 years ago, Taliban flags were raised above a girls’ madrassa next door. Meanwhile, the usefulness of the madrassas has declined, as Pakistani officials have more recently taken a more direct role in Afghanistan’s affairs, said Muhammad Israr Madani, an Islamabad-based researcher focusing on religious affairs. Amid those pressures, Pakistan’s government has tried a mix of financial support and behind-the-scenes prodding to dial down radicalism within the seminaries. The government of Prime Minister Imran Khan gave the Haqqania seminary $1.6 million in 2018 and $1.7 million in 2017 for “mainstreaming” it. The funds helped the madrassa construct a new building, a badminton court and a computer lab, among other projects. Haqqania has broadened its curriculum to include English, math and computer science. It demands full documentation from foreign students, including those from Afghanistan, and administrators said it adopted a zero-tolerance policy for anti-state activities. Experts on education in Pakistan say that the effort has had some success and that Haqqania does not advocate militancy like it once did. Still, they said, such madrassas teach a narrow interpretation of Islam. Lessons focus on how to argue with opposing faiths rather than critical thinking, and stress enforcement of practices like punishing theft with amputation and sex outside marriage with stoning. That makes some of their students vulnerable to recruitment from militant groups. “In an environment of widespread support for the Taliban, both with the government and society, it would be naive to hope that madrassas and other mainstream educational institutions would adopt a teaching approach other than a pro-Taliban one,” said Abbas, the author. The school’s syllabus may be less influential than individual instructors. “Whenever a madrassa student is found engaged in an act of violence, the wider approach is to hold the madrassa system and its syllabus responsible for the ill, and no attention is paid to the teacher or teachers who influenced the student,” Abbas said. Graduates who had studied at Haqqania in the 1980s and 1990s said they did not receive any military training. Some, however, said teachers often discussed jihad openly and encouraged students to join Afghanistan’s insurgency. One, named Ali, said students could easily slip into Afghanistan to fight during seminary vacations. He requested that only his last name be used, citing security concerns. Sami, the vice chancellor, said students were neither trained for combat nor obliged to fight in Afghanistan. School administrators point to recent statements by some groups in Afghanistan as reflective moderate teachings. After the Taliban captured Kabul, the Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam-Sami party, founded by Sami’s father, urged them to ensure the safety of Afghans and foreigners, particularly diplomats; protect the rights of religious and ethnic minorities; and allow women access to higher education. In any case, Sami said, the world has little choice but to trust the Taliban’s ability to govern. “I advise the international community to give a chance to the Taliban to run the country,” he said. “If they are not allowed to work, there will be a new civil war in Afghanistan, and it will affect the entire region.”

Where Afghanistan's new Taliban leaders went to school

Afghanistan may be one of the poorest nations in the world but it sits on a vast resource of minerals deposits among them most crucial is Lithium. Eyeing these reserves is now China.

Chinese firms explore Lithium projects in Afghanistan

November 25 marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. On this day, the United Nations has highlighted the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on women's safety in public spaces or even at home.&nbsp;

As per the latest global estimates that nearly one-in-three women aged 15 and older have been subjected to physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate or non-sexual partner or both at least once in their lifetime.&nbsp;

The violence against women has been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic and the humanitarian crisis, which is referred to as a 'shadow pandemic'.&nbsp;

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-demonstrators-demand-foreign-treatment-for-ailing-ex-pm-431902">Bangladesh demonstrators demand foreign treatment for ailing ex-PM</a>

When we talk about Afghanistan, it has one of the highest rates of violence against women globally. And after the Taliban took over the country, the status of women remains unclear.&nbsp;

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has called for concrete actions to end violence against women. &nbsp;

A release by UNAMA read, "The global community needs to listen to the voices and experiences of Afghan women and girls and urgently respond to their needs, especially survivors of violence and those who face multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination."

"We must act together to tackle this shadow pandemic. The violence should be prevented, we must change attitudes that shame survivors and support violence, we must support services for survivors," said Deborah Lyons, Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Afghanistan.

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/train-with-humanitarian-aid-departed-from-china-to-afghanistan-431898">Train with humanitarian aid departed from China to Afghanistan</a>

"The message we receive from our partners and women across the country is clear — violence against women that was already at alarming levels, has been exacerbated by both crisis and Covid-19. And yet, lifesaving services for women survivors of violence have closed on account of fear of being targeted," said Alison Davidian, UN Women Country Representative in Afghanistan.&nbsp;

Recently, &nbsp;The Taliban administration has released a set of restrictions on Afghan media, including banning television dramas that included female actors and ordering women news presenters to wear "Islamic hijab".

It is worth mentioning that during the Taliban's previous rule, strict curbs were placed on women.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
"Violence against women and girls continues to be the most pervasive and pressing human rights issue in the world today." 
 
-- <a href="https://twitter.com/antonioguterres?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@antonioguterres</a> on Thursday's Int'l Day to End Violence against Women. <a href="https://t.co/BgAcPc3Azn">https://t.co/BgAcPc3Azn</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/16days?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#16days</a> <a href="https://t.co/L3eSf6MDJS">pic.twitter.com/L3eSf6MDJS</a>
— United Nations (@UN) <a href="https://twitter.com/UN/status/1463735196188954625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2021</a></blockquote>
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As the world marks International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the UN in Afghanistan calls on everyone to take concrete steps to end this violence and to support services for survivors. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/orangetheworld?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#orangetheworld</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/16days?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#16days</a> Read press release: <a href="https://t.co/fxrW0Py9Jy">https://t.co/fxrW0Py9Jy</a> <a href="https://t.co/Hb8H9QxKpp">pic.twitter.com/Hb8H9QxKpp</a>
— UNAMA News (@UNAMAnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/UNAMAnews/status/1463729663759593475?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2021</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

November 25 marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. On this day, the United Nations has highlighted the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on women's safety in public spaces or even at home.

November 25 marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. On this day, the United Nations has highlighted the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on women's safety in public spaces or even at home. As per the latest global estimates that nearly one-in-three women aged 15 and older have been subjected to physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate or non-sexual partner or both at least once in their lifetime. The violence against women has been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic and the humanitarian crisis, which is referred to as a 'shadow pandemic'. ALSO READ | Bangladesh demonstrators demand foreign treatment for ailing ex-PM When we talk about Afghanistan, it has one of the highest rates of violence against women globally. And after the Taliban took over the country, the status of women remains unclear. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has called for concrete actions to end violence against women. A release by UNAMA read, "The global community needs to listen to the voices and experiences of Afghan women and girls and urgently respond to their needs, especially survivors of violence and those who face multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination." "We must act together to tackle this shadow pandemic. The violence should be prevented, we must change attitudes that shame survivors and support violence, we must support services for survivors," said Deborah Lyons, Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Afghanistan. ALSO READ | Train with humanitarian aid departed from China to Afghanistan "The message we receive from our partners and women across the country is clear — violence against women that was already at alarming levels, has been exacerbated by both crisis and Covid-19. And yet, lifesaving services for women survivors of violence have closed on account of fear of being targeted," said Alison Davidian, UN Women Country Representative in Afghanistan. Recently, The Taliban administration has released a set of restrictions on Afghan media, including banning television dramas that included female actors and ordering women news presenters to wear "Islamic hijab". It is worth mentioning that during the Taliban's previous rule, strict curbs were placed on women. "Violence against women and girls continues to be the most pervasive and pressing human rights issue in the world today." -- @antonioguterres on Thursday's Int'l Day to End Violence against Women. https://t.co/BgAcPc3Azn #16days pic.twitter.com/L3eSf6MDJS — United Nations (@UN) November 25, 2021 × As the world marks International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the UN in Afghanistan calls on everyone to take concrete steps to end this violence and to support services for survivors. #orangetheworld #16days Read press release: https://t.co/fxrW0Py9Jy pic.twitter.com/Hb8H9QxKpp — UNAMA News (@UNAMAnews) November 25, 2021 ×

'Violence against Afghan women at alarming levels': UN in Afghanistan calls for concrete steps

Amid the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, China shipped humanitarian aid to the war-torn nation. On November 21, Chinese ambassador to Afghanistan, Wang Yu said that a train with more than 1,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid departed China's Xinjiang.

Amid the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, China shipped humanitarian aid to the war-torn nation. On November 21, Chinese ambassador to Afghanistan, Wang Yu said that a train with more than 1,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid departed China's Xinjiang. The train departed with necessities like naan, milk tea powder, cotton-padded clothes, cotton shoes and blankets, etc., Wang Yu informed. He also said that since July 2021, the trains between China and Afghanistan carried more than 2,600 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. ALSO READ | Pakistan petroleum dealers launch nationwide strike against lower profit margins Train with more than 1000 ton humanitarian aid departed China's Xinjiang. Include naan,milk tea powder, cotton-padded clothes, cotton shoes and blankets.Since July 2021, the China-Afg trains carried more than 2,600 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Afg.@IeaForeign1 @QaharBalkhi pic.twitter.com/2Reqtv2Uit — Wang Yu 王愚 (@ChinaEmbKabul) November 21, 2021 × In October, a report on Global Times stated that cargo trains between the two countries have never stopped and trade of agricultural products between the two countries is being restored. The report also mentioned Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin's stance who said that China is offering support to the Afghan people within its ability. Since the Taliban takeover in August this year, the nation has been facing issues to provide care for Afghan people. The United Nations had warned that almost half of the population of Afghanistan will face a hunger crisis between the present time and March next year, according to Al Arabiya Post. India's stance on Afghanistan humanitarian crisis Pakistan allowed the transportation of 50,000 metric tonnes (MTs) of wheat and lifesaving medicines through the Wagah Border as humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. In a statement on Wednesday (November 24), the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: "As a goodwill gesture towards the brotherly Afghan people, the Government of Pakistan has decided to allow the transportation of 50000 Metric Tonnes of wheat and life-saving medicines from India to Afghanistan via Wagah Border on an exceptional basis for humanitarian purposes." As a goodwill gesture towards the brotherly Afghan people,Pakistan has decided to allow the transportation of Indian food assistance for the war-torn country, Afghanistan through Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/EThe67sBHI — Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) November 24, 2021 ×

Train with humanitarian aid departed from China to Afghanistan

The UAE and Qatar are tussling over control of the Kabul airport. According to sources, the UAE has held talks with the Taliban to run the airport, sources reveal that UAE officials have held a series of discussions with a group in recent weeks to discuss operating the airport.

Afghanistan: UAE, Qatar tussle over handling of Kabul airport

Rarely in the world have women’s and girls’ rights been challenged as they have been in Afghanistan. The latest developments give cause for great concern.&nbsp;The EU has made it clear that future development assistance to Afghanistan will depend on the respect for the international legal framework and for norms on human rights, including women’s and girls’ rights. The EU is determined and committed to continue to support the women and girls of Afghanistan and worldwide, sticking to our values and beliefs.&nbsp;

Together with human rights, freedom and democracy, equality represents one of the core values that make the European Union what it is. It enriches our societies and strengthens their resilience. Gender equality is a core part of peace, security, economic prosperity and sustainable development. Moreover, defending and promoting gender equality is required by the EU Treaties.&nbsp;

That is why working politically, operationally and financially to promote and safeguard progress on gender equality is a political priority and a key objective for the EU. The EU Gender Action Plan III and the new EU external action budget provide a roadmap for global action towards a gender-equal world. We work closely together with multilateral, regional and bilateral partners, including civil society organisations, to achieve those objectives. We still have a long way to go; there is no room for complacency. However, we are stronger together while many challenges remain.

In many countries, the COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated existing gender inequalities across different areas: education, vocational training, health, security and safety, sexual and reproductive health and rights, decision-making, and economic opportunities.&nbsp;

The COVID-19 lockdowns have often seen an increase in gender-based violence, in particular domestic violence, while women and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health services has been reduced. At the same time, a significant part of the care burden has fallen on women and girls. Workers in the informal economy and in low-skilled jobs (most of whom are women), migrants, and those belonging to minorities, have been more at risk and face multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination.&nbsp;

Moreover, school closures have exposed girls to an increased risk of sexual exploitation, early pregnancy, child labour and forced marriage. The Malala Fund estimates that 20 million more girls risk dropping out of school, adding up to a total of 150 million girls – equivalent to a third of the EU population – without educational prospects.

According to a recent UN report, military spending in 2020 still outplaced the worldwide expenses on health, even in a year that was dominated by the corona pandemic. For a sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to redouble our efforts to promote gender equality.&nbsp;

Now is the time to do more&nbsp;

This challenge requires a global response and needs to be tackled now, when we are building the future we wish for our children and grandchildren to grow up in a post-pandemic world that is more equal, more diverse, and where equal opportunities are a reality. We need to address the root causes of gender inequality and gender-based discrimination in order to achieve sustainable change.

The European Union and its members states, as well as the European financial institutions have stood with the women and girls of the world throughout the pandemic. As Team Europe, we have already mobilised €46 billion in support of over 130 partner countries, with a particular focus on women and youth.

Three examples as an illustration: In Nepal, we helped one million girls and boys continue their education through radio-based learning. In Togo, we supported the creation of a universal income scheme and the appointment of women to head new municipalities. Worldwide, the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative has helped 650,000 women and girls prevent or address violence against them, and educated 880,000 men and boys on positive masculinity, non-violent conflict resolution and parenting.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Still, to meet the growing challenges, we need to do more and better. That is the purpose of the Gender Action Plan III. It promotes leadership and meaningful participation of women, girls and young people in political, economic, social and cultural life, as well as in all matters related to peace and security, worldwide.

We work to get human development back on track

We are now making this plan a reality with the help of the new €79.5 billion NDICI-Global Europe instrument that will support the EU’s external action for the next seven years.&nbsp;

Support for education and particularly girls’ education will have a central role. Just as we support education in emergencies, the EU has worked with partner countries throughout the pandemic to minimise its impact on learning and the well-being of children and to facilitate a safe return to school.&nbsp;

We already provide more than half of all global aid to education as Team Europe. But we will increase funding further, to promote gender equality through quality education at all levels. Our joint €1.7 billion pledge to the Global Partnership for Education in July – to transform education for girls and boys in up to 90 countries and territories – is part of this new beginning.&nbsp;

We are multiplying our efforts across the board, from supporting women and girls’ education and economic opportunities to improving their access to sexual and reproductive health services. By 2025, 85% of all the EU’s new external actions, across all sectors, will contribute to gender equality and women's empowerment.

This is now being finalised with our partner countries based on close consultation with civil society organisations, women's rights activists and youth.&nbsp;

We need to put human development back on track and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, leaving no woman or girl behind.&nbsp;

It is crucial that we get it right.

This article was written on the occasion of International Day to Eliminate Violence Against Women, which falls on November 25.

Authored by: Josep Borrell Fontelles, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/VP of the European Commission; Jutta Urpilainen, EU’s Commissioner for International Partnerships, and EU Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Development from 24 Member States.

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.) &nbsp;&nbsp;

Rarely in the world have women’s and girls’ rights been challenged as they have been in Afghanistan. The latest developments give cause for great concern. The EU has made it clear that future development assistance to Afghanistan will depend on the respect for the international legal framework and for norms on human rights, including women’s and girls’ rights.

Rarely in the world have women’s and girls’ rights been challenged as they have been in Afghanistan. The latest developments give cause for great concern. The EU has made it clear that future development assistance to Afghanistan will depend on the respect for the international legal framework and for norms on human rights, including women’s and girls’ rights. The EU is determined and committed to continue to support the women and girls of Afghanistan and worldwide, sticking to our values and beliefs. Together with human rights, freedom and democracy, equality represents one of the core values that make the European Union what it is. It enriches our societies and strengthens their resilience. Gender equality is a core part of peace, security, economic prosperity and sustainable development. Moreover, defending and promoting gender equality is required by the EU Treaties. That is why working politically, operationally and financially to promote and safeguard progress on gender equality is a political priority and a key objective for the EU. The EU Gender Action Plan III and the new EU external action budget provide a roadmap for global action towards a gender-equal world. We work closely together with multilateral, regional and bilateral partners, including civil society organisations, to achieve those objectives. We still have a long way to go; there is no room for complacency. However, we are stronger together while many challenges remain. In many countries, the COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated existing gender inequalities across different areas: education, vocational training, health, security and safety, sexual and reproductive health and rights, decision-making, and economic opportunities. The COVID-19 lockdowns have often seen an increase in gender-based violence, in particular domestic violence, while women and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health services has been reduced. At the same time, a significant part of the care burden has fallen on women and girls. Workers in the informal economy and in low-skilled jobs (most of whom are women), migrants, and those belonging to minorities, have been more at risk and face multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination. Moreover, school closures have exposed girls to an increased risk of sexual exploitation, early pregnancy, child labour and forced marriage. The Malala Fund estimates that 20 million more girls risk dropping out of school, adding up to a total of 150 million girls – equivalent to a third of the EU population – without educational prospects. According to a recent UN report, military spending in 2020 still outplaced the worldwide expenses on health, even in a year that was dominated by the corona pandemic. For a sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to redouble our efforts to promote gender equality. Now is the time to do more This challenge requires a global response and needs to be tackled now, when we are building the future we wish for our children and grandchildren to grow up in a post-pandemic world that is more equal, more diverse, and where equal opportunities are a reality. We need to address the root causes of gender inequality and gender-based discrimination in order to achieve sustainable change. The European Union and its members states, as well as the European financial institutions have stood with the women and girls of the world throughout the pandemic. As Team Europe, we have already mobilised €46 billion in support of over 130 partner countries, with a particular focus on women and youth. Three examples as an illustration: In Nepal, we helped one million girls and boys continue their education through radio-based learning. In Togo, we supported the creation of a universal income scheme and the appointment of women to head new municipalities. Worldwide, the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative has helped 650,000 women and girls prevent or address violence against them, and educated 880,000 men and boys on positive masculinity, non-violent conflict resolution and parenting. Still, to meet the growing challenges, we need to do more and better. That is the purpose of the Gender Action Plan III. It promotes leadership and meaningful participation of women, girls and young people in political, economic, social and cultural life, as well as in all matters related to peace and security, worldwide. We work to get human development back on track We are now making this plan a reality with the help of the new €79.5 billion NDICI-Global Europe instrument that will support the EU’s external action for the next seven years. Support for education and particularly girls’ education will have a central role. Just as we support education in emergencies, the EU has worked with partner countries throughout the pandemic to minimise its impact on learning and the well-being of children and to facilitate a safe return to school. We already provide more than half of all global aid to education as Team Europe. But we will increase funding further, to promote gender equality through quality education at all levels. Our joint €1.7 billion pledge to the Global Partnership for Education in July – to transform education for girls and boys in up to 90 countries and territories – is part of this new beginning. We are multiplying our efforts across the board, from supporting women and girls’ education and economic opportunities to improving their access to sexual and reproductive health services. By 2025, 85% of all the EU’s new external actions, across all sectors, will contribute to gender equality and women's empowerment. This is now being finalised with our partner countries based on close consultation with civil society organisations, women's rights activists and youth. We need to put human development back on track and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, leaving no woman or girl behind. It is crucial that we get it right. This article was written on the occasion of International Day to Eliminate Violence Against Women, which falls on November 25. Authored by: Josep Borrell Fontelles, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/VP of the European Commission; Jutta Urpilainen, EU’s Commissioner for International Partnerships, and EU Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Development from 24 Member States. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

Putting gender equality first 

United States officials will resume their talks with the Taliban next week in Qatar. This meet will focus, among other issues, on the fight against terrorism and the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

State Department spokesman Ned Price confirmed Tuesday that Thomas&nbsp;West, the US special representative for Afghanistan, would lead the delegation during the planned two-week discussions.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-expand-interim-cabinet-27-new-members-named-431429">Taliban expand interim cabinet, 27 new members named</a>

"They’ll discuss ... our vital national interests when it comes to Afghanistan," said Price.

"That includes counterterrorism, that includes safe passage for U.S. citizens and for Afghans to whom we have a special commitment and that includes humanitarian assistance and the economic situation of the country.”

Two weeks ago, the US envoy Thomas West&nbsp;attended a meeting of the so-called extended Troika, which included Pakistan, China, Russia, and the United States. The group also met with senior Taliban leaders.

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1/2 Joined extended Troika (US, Russia, China, Pakistan) in Islamabad. Parties reaffirmed centrality of Taliban fulfilling terrorism commitments, working w/fellow Afghans on inclusive governance, &amp; protecting the rights of all Afghans, esp women &amp; girls. <a href="https://t.co/cmzoKL6EGc">https://t.co/cmzoKL6EGc</a> <a href="https://t.co/aavkkaYznA">pic.twitter.com/aavkkaYznA</a>
— U.S. Special Representative Thomas West (@US4AfghanPeace) <a href="https://twitter.com/US4AfghanPeace/status/1458922857946304521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2021</a></blockquote>
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A first meeting of the two sides took place in the Qatari capital Doha on October 9-10, where, in the aftermath of the Taliban takeover, US diplomats overseeing Afghanistan's relations have been transferred.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-ban-tv-shows-featuring-women-actors-as-a-part-of-religious-guideline-431100">Taliban ban TV shows featuring women actors as a part of 'religious guideline'</a>

On Friday, western countries reiterated US conditions for the Taliban to receive financial and diplomatic support.

These conditions include: combating terrorism, implementing an inclusive government, respecting the rights of minorities, women, and girls, and providing equal access to education and employment.

The United States said that it will continue to have a dialogue with the Taliban and will provide humanitarian assistance for now.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas Plus: Who created the Taliban?

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-plus-who-created-the-taliban-407485/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

In an open letter to the US Congress, Amir Khan Muttaqi, the foreign minister of the Taliban government, which is still not recognised by the international community, called on the US to release Afghan assets frozen by the US.

(With inputs from agencies)

United States officials will resume their talks with the Taliban next week in Qatar. This meet will focus, among other issues, on the fight against terrorism and the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

United States officials will resume their talks with the Taliban next week in Qatar. This meet will focus, among other issues, on the fight against terrorism and the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. State Department spokesman Ned Price confirmed Tuesday that Thomas West, the US special representative for Afghanistan, would lead the delegation during the planned two-week discussions. Also read | Taliban expand interim cabinet, 27 new members named "They’ll discuss ... our vital national interests when it comes to Afghanistan," said Price. "That includes counterterrorism, that includes safe passage for U.S. citizens and for Afghans to whom we have a special commitment and that includes humanitarian assistance and the economic situation of the country.” Two weeks ago, the US envoy Thomas West attended a meeting of the so-called extended Troika, which included Pakistan, China, Russia, and the United States. The group also met with senior Taliban leaders. 1/2 Joined extended Troika (US, Russia, China, Pakistan) in Islamabad. Parties reaffirmed centrality of Taliban fulfilling terrorism commitments, working w/fellow Afghans on inclusive governance, & protecting the rights of all Afghans, esp women & girls. https://t.co/cmzoKL6EGc pic.twitter.com/aavkkaYznA — U.S. Special Representative Thomas West (@US4AfghanPeace) November 11, 2021 × A first meeting of the two sides took place in the Qatari capital Doha on October 9-10, where, in the aftermath of the Taliban takeover, US diplomats overseeing Afghanistan's relations have been transferred. Also read | Taliban ban TV shows featuring women actors as a part of 'religious guideline' On Friday, western countries reiterated US conditions for the Taliban to receive financial and diplomatic support. These conditions include: combating terrorism, implementing an inclusive government, respecting the rights of minorities, women, and girls, and providing equal access to education and employment. The United States said that it will continue to have a dialogue with the Taliban and will provide humanitarian assistance for now. Watch | Gravitas Plus: Who created the Taliban? In an open letter to the US Congress, Amir Khan Muttaqi, the foreign minister of the Taliban government, which is still not recognised by the international community, called on the US to release Afghan assets frozen by the US. (With inputs from agencies)

United States to resume talks with Taliban next week

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