2 New Polio Cases Registered In Herat
The healthcare team of a charitable foundation in Herat, providing assistance to earthquake victims in western Afghanistan, has reported two new cases of polio.
The healthcare team of a charitable foundation in Herat, providing assistance to earthquake victims in western Afghanistan, has reported two new cases of polio.
The Foundation of Nisar Ahmad Faizi Ghoryani said on Thursday that these two cases of polio were registered in the Jibrail area of Herat city.
On X social media platform, Ghoryani wrote that these two polio-affected children have been transferred to the capital of Herat.
Previously, "Polio Free", a global organisation committed to eradicating polio had warned about the rapid spread of polio cases in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only countries that have not been able to eradicate polio.
On Thursday, the US State Department urged Afghanistan's neighbouring countries, including Pakistan, to allow Afghan migrants to seek international protection. It urged the countries to deal with the migrants according to international laws.
Pakistan has set a deadline for more than one million Afghan immigrants without legal documentations to leave the country in 10 days. Meanwhile, Iranian Interior Minister has also said that "illegal" Afghan immigrants should leave Iran.
While the Iranian authorities are addressing the challenges posed by Afghan immigrants, there has also been a concerning surge in anti-Afghan sentiments within the country. As per reports, incidents of violence against Afghan immigrants have occurred in Qazvin province.
Mattew Miller, spokesperson for the US State Department, said, “We strongly encourage Afghanistan’s neighbours, including Pakistan, to allow entry for Afghans seeking international protection, and to coordinate with international humanitarian organisations such as UNHCR and IOM to provide humanitarian assistance."
The Taliban’s Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation announced the beginning of Kam Air’s direct flights from Mawlana Jalaluddin Mohammad Balkhi International Airport in Mazar-e-Sharif city to Saudi Arabia.
Through the first flight, 121 passengers travelled from Mazar-e-Sharif Airport to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The Taliban’s ministry on X social media platform said this is for the first time that flights between Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia have started.
Kam Air said that these flights will operate once a week from Mazar-e-Sharif airport to Jeddah city.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that it needs UDS 7.9 million to provide health services to the Herat earthquake victims.
The organisation said that 114,000 people who were affected by the recent earthquake in Herat need life-saving health care.
In a statement on Thursday, WHO stated that over 90 percent of the casualties in the Herat earthquake comprise women, girls, boys, and other vulnerable communities.
According to the organisation, at least 40 health centres in nine districts of Herat have been damaged resulting in disruptions in accessing health services for 58,000 people.
Earlier, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs announced that a total of USD 93.6 million is needed to deal with the Herat earthquake victims in different sectors.
The World Food Programme had also announced that it needs 19 million dollars for emergency aid to assist tens of thousands of Herat earthquake victims.
The United Nations said that more than 43,000 people were directly affected by the Herat earthquake and more than 3,330 houses were destroyed.
Emomali Rahmon, the President of Tajikistan, during his visit to Khatlon province of the country, inaugurated 24 new outposts on the border with Afghanistan.
Earlier, Rahmon said that due to security threats, Tajikistan needs hundreds of security installations on the border with Afghanistan.
Asia Plus News Agency of Tajikistan reported on Thursday that new outposts have been set up in the districts of Lakhsh, Shamsuddin Shahin, Roshan, Ishkashom, Murghob, and Khorog.
According to this report, Rahmon had ordered the construction of all new outposts on the border with Afghanistan.
The president of Tajikistan, during a meeting with his country's soldiers in the border region, emphasised on strengthening border protection.
Earlier, Kheireddin Osman Zuda, head of the Centre for Strategic Studies of Tajikistan, announced that the number of outposts of the country on the Afghan border exceeded 100, and some of them were built with the help of international organisations.
Tajikistan, which is a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, has repeatedly asked Central Asian countries to create a "security belt" around Afghanistan.
According to Tajik officials, terrorists are actively present on the borders of Afghanistan and are trying to penetrate into Tajikistan and Central Asia.
The “Afghanistan United Front" led by Sami Sadat, former commander of the Afghan army's special forces, launched in the United States.
The founding members of the front stressed that they would work to "liberate Afghanistan from the occupation of the Taliban, drive out extremist groups" and work for the welfare of Afghan citizens.
Sami Sadat, the leader of the Afghanistan United Front, said that in August 2021 when the Taliban took over power, Afghanistan once again fell into the hands of the perpetrators of the September 11 attack.
He said that currently, about 16,000 al-Qaeda members receive military training in Afghanistan, and their leaders meet and travel freely in the Middle East.
Sadat claimed that in October 2021, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the person in charge of Al-Qaeda's international operations at the time, inspired by the "success of the Taliban," decided to "reconcile" Shia and Sunni terrorist groups in the Middle East and focus on their enmity with the United States.
According to this military officer of the previous Afghan government, Al-Qaeda and the Taliban work together in the training and military exercises of "terrorists" and prepare them for attacks in Africa, the Middle East, and even Europe.
According to Sadat, currently, the former base of American forces near Kandahar Airfield has become a training centre for suicide bombers.
He said that Al-Qaeda has a close relationship with the Taliban and now the Ministry of Defence of the group uses Al-Qaeda members for military training of its forces.
Sadat said, "Afghanistan is currently a haven for dozens of terrorist groups and they are preparing for overseas operations."
He stated that with the Taliban gaining power, terrorism in Afghanistan has gained opportunity, space, and inspiration. Sadat said that the Taliban are setting up hundreds of schools, brainwashing children, and preparing them for overseas operations.
Referring to the humanitarian situation and increased migration from Afghanistan, he said that the Taliban are indifferent to their own people, but they are a "good host" for international terrorism.
Sadat added that as citizens of Afghanistan, "we cannot sit idly by this situation”.
He said that he wants "a united Afghanistan under one flag, with the inclusion of all minorities and a constitutional order".
The leader of the Afghanistan United Front emphasised that he is in favour of forming a legitimate government in a peaceful way and "if possible, through dialogue and participation of the Taliban in the elections". However, Sadat said that if the Taliban do not want to hold these elections, resorting to "force" will be necessary.
Referring to the previous government, Sadat said that Afghan soldiers didn’t "lack will and courage", but "rather, the United States and the Afghan armed forces failed because of failed policies”.
After the Taliban’s takeover of power in Afghanistan, several political organisations have been created by exiled political leaders and former government officials.