Taliban Opposition Delegation Holds Talks In Iran On Afghan Refugee Crisis

Speaking at a press briefing on Monday, Dujarric stated that approximately 23 million people in Afghanistan continue to rely on international humanitarian aid. He emphasised the growing challenges faced by the UN and its partner agencies due to funding constraints.

Dujarric also highlighted the recent visit of Tom Fletcher, the UN Deputy Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, to Afghanistan. During his trip, Fletcher stressed to Taliban officials that the situation of Afghan women remains a paramount concern, reiterating that meaningful development is impossible without girls’ education and their full participation in society.

While in Kabul, Fletcher met with senior Taliban figures, including Abdul Salam Hanafi, Deputy Prime Minister; Deen Mohammad Hanif, Minister of Economy; and Amir Khan Muttaqi, the group’s Foreign Minister. Discussions focused on the impact of climate change on the humanitarian crisis, counter-narcotics initiatives, and security matters.

The Taliban’s official statement regarding Fletcher’s visit made no mention of his calls for improved access to education for girls.

Dujarric further noted that Fletcher addressed the repercussions of budget cuts on humanitarian programmes, urged the reduction of bureaucratic restrictions, and emphasised the essential role of women in humanitarian efforts. He also discussed the situation of Afghan refugees returning from Pakistan.

The United Nations voiced its concerns over funding cuts at a time when the United States recently announced the suspension of its aid to the World Food Programme in Afghanistan, citing concerns over the Taliban’s misappropriation of assistance.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has placed US humanitarian aid to Afghanistan under a 90-day review, aiming to ensure that aid does not benefit the Taliban and aligns with broader US foreign policy priorities. The outcome of the review has not yet been announced.

According to Ahmad, the two sides discussed Afghanistan-Qatar bilateral relations, the enhancement of diplomatic and trade ties, and key regional issues during their meeting.

Meanwhile, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement regarding the talks, said that Al Thani reaffirmed Qatar’s steadfast support for the Afghan people and its ongoing efforts to help achieve security, stability, and a dignified life in Afghanistan.

The Qatari statement noted that discussions focused on developments in Afghanistan and ways to support the Afghan people, but it did not explicitly mention efforts to strengthen diplomatic or commercial ties.

Nevertheless, Ahmad quoted Al Thani as describing Qatar’s relationship with the Taliban as “close and brotherly,” and expressing satisfaction with the group’s expanding relations with regional countries.

The Qatari foreign minister also highlighted the importance of boosting trade relations between the two countries and advocated for consistent and sustained communication between their private sectors.

During the meeting, Muttaqi thanked Qatar for its “official” invitation, describing the country’s role in the Taliban’s “foreign policy” as significant. He praised Qatar’s efforts in facilitating the Taliban’s engagement with the international community.

Muttaqi further emphasised the need to upgrade diplomatic relations and strengthen bilateral ties, proposing that Qatar invest in Afghanistan’s development and commercial opportunities.

Qatar, a key supporter of the Taliban, previously hosted the group’s political office in Doha, which paved the way for the 18-month negotiations between the Taliban and the United States, prior to the collapse of Afghanistan’s former government.

The Afghanistan Journalists Center announced the five recipients of this year’s award, including four journalists currently working inside Afghanistan: Nasrin Saeedi, Azizullah Wahdat, Mohammad Yousuf Mangal, and Ehsanullah Karimi.

Mazhar’s report was selected by the award jury as one of the top five journalistic works of 2025. His investigation, based on interviews with several men and women formerly detained by the Taliban, exposes the use of sexual violence and abuse as a tool to extract confessions. The report further revealed that detention facilities were reportedly fitted with CCTV cameras, and that Taliban members allegedly recorded instances of assault and abuse on their mobile phones.

Richard Bennett, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, responded to the report, stating he was aware of the allegations and that investigations were underway.

Mazhar, who is also an acclaimed poet, graduated with a degree in Persian language and literature from Kabul University. He has been part of Afghanistan International since its establishment in 2021 and currently works with the network’s investigative reporting unit.

The Afghanistan Journalists Center organises this programme annually, with this year marking the twelfth edition of the awards.

Usman Wazir, a police officer, stated that the blast caused part of the building hosting the meeting to collapse. The identity of the attackers remains unknown, and no group has yet claimed responsibility for the assault.

Further details regarding the incident have not yet been released. South Waziristan is known as a stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban.

In a separate development on Sunday, Pakistan’s military reported that security forces killed nearly 60 militants attempting to cross the border from Afghanistan into Pakistan.

In a statement, the ICRC highlighted the severe economic consequences of this vulnerability, noting that the agricultural sector the main source of income for approximately 80 percent of Afghanistan’s population has been one of the hardest hit by extreme climate events, including droughts, unseasonal rainfall, and floods.

According to the Red Cross, more than 14 million Afghans are currently grappling with severe food insecurity.

Katharina Ritz, head of the ICRC’s delegation in Kabul, stated that farmers and communities dependent on agriculture are facing extremely harsh conditions, warning that challenges could further worsen the country’s already fragile food security situation.

In 2024, the Red Cross provided assistance to over 50,000 Afghan farmers by helping them purchase essential items such as seeds, fertilisers, and farming tools to boost their productivity.

The organisation also noted that decades of armed conflict have damaged many irrigation canals across Afghanistan, severely affecting farmers’ ability to preserve their crops. To tackle this issue, the ICRC has been rehabilitating water sources and improving access to secure irrigation for agricultural lands.