About 2,000 Afghans leave country daily

The transportation companies in Kabul say that nearly 2,000 Afghans, mostly youths, are illegally fleeing the country on daily basis toward the neighboring Iran.

They stated that due to the insecurity and unemployment, Afghan youths are fleeing the country toward Iran, Turkey or the European countries.

The drivers have painful stories about the fate of illegal travelers, saying a large number of death bodies have returned back to the country from Iran borders.

“When they arrive in Nimroz, they are sold without even knowing. They fall into hands of Baluch smugglers,” Jawid, a driver said.

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Narcotics: 51 officials among convicts last year

More than 740 people have been detained in connection with trafficking narcotics in capital Kabul and provinces the last solar year that ended on March 21, the Criminal Justice Task Force (CJTF) has said.

CJTF spokesman Ahmad Khalid Mowahid told a press conference in Kabul yesterday that the detainees included foreigners, women and government officials.

Mowahid said the detainees captured by counternarcotics police had been involved in 568 drugs related cases.

He said 59 government officials, 28 women, eight Iranians and one Pakistani were among the detainees.

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39% of Afghans Live Below Poverty Line

Thirty nine percent of the people live below the poverty line and 23 percent of Afghans are unemployed, said Suhrab Bahman, spokesman for the ministry of economy.

Officials from Afghanistan’s Ministry of Economy (MoEc) on Wednesday said that the poverty and unemployment rates have significantly increased despite efforts over the past few years to develop the country.

Thirty nine percent of the people live below the poverty line and 23 percent of Afghans are unemployed, said Suhrab Bahman, spokesman for the ministry of economy.

Meanwhile, a number of economic commentators have said that the National Unity Government (NUG) under President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah has failed to address the issue of poverty and unemployment over the past three years.

According to the ministry of economy, Afghanistan’s economic growth rate this year has been around 0.5 percent following a visible increase in the country’s exports abroad, but poverty and unemployment remains a huge challenge.

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Maternal mortality rates declined from 1100 to 396 in Afghanistan

The World Bank says Afghanistan has made strong gains in health outcomes, health services coverage and health systems performance since 2003. (Photo: UNFPA)

The World Bank informed regarding the gains in its latest report particularly pointing towards the unprecedented decline in maternal mortality and child mortality rates.

Citing the United Nations estimates, the World Bank report states that maternal mortality rates (MMR) declined from 1,100 to 396 deaths per 100,000 live births from 2000 to 2015.

The report also adds that under-5 child mortality rates (U5MR) fell 34 percent (from 137 to 91 deaths per 1,000 live births).

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MoI arrests nearly 3000 suspected drug dealers

Afghan Ministry of Interior (MoI) says nearly 3000 drug dealers have been arrested during the current solar year.

The deputy interior minister of counter-narcotics affairs, Abdul Khalil Bakhtyar has declared that a number of Taliban commanders are also among the detainees.

According to MoI, during the current solar year;

2468 operations were conducted which 860 of them were carried out in Kabul.

2848 drug dealers have been arrested that 69 of them are security personnel.

27 drug factories and 12 drug caches have been destroyed.

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Sharp rise in counter-narcotic cases compared to past year in Afghanistan

The Counter-Narcotics and Intoxicants Justice and Judicial Center has reported an increase in registered cases compared to the last year in the country.

The spokesman of Special Prosecution of Counter Narcotics and Intoxicants, Ahmad Khalid Mowahed has declared that in connection to 57 incidents 59 people arrested during the current month.

“At least two women and an Iranian citizen are also among the detainees and 16 cases are belong to the Hamed Karzai airport,” Muwahed said.

Muwahed noted that the penal code has been enforced in counter narcotics law and a number of the amendment has been added in the fifth and ninth chapters of this law.

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Afghan elite forces launched ‘over 500 offensives’ since last 10 months

The Afghan Special Forces have conducted over 500 operations against militants across the country, since last 10 months, the Commander and Chief of Special Operation Military Corps said Monday.

Besmillah Waziri said the military raid were being launched from their permanent headquarters based in 14 provinces.

“We have conducted 147 special and 487 supportive operations,” Commander Waziri said. “6101 militants have been killed, 3285 injured and 443 more arrested during these operations.”

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Land mines leave about 100 casualties in Afghanistan monthly

An international watchdog says land mines leave about 100 casualties in Afghanistan on monthly basis.

According to a report released, there were more than 600 casualties in 2016 in Afghanistan compared to the year 2015 which shows Afghanistan at the top of the list.

“The statistics show that every month we have about 100 victims due to [land mine explosions] in Afghanistan,” Islamuddin Mohammadi Executive Director of Afghan Landmine Survivors Organization (ALSO) said on Thursday,” most of these causalities have occurred due to roadside and sticky bombs explosions.”

“78 percent of the victims were civilians and 42 percent of those causalities were children. After Yemen, it is reported that Afghanistan was having the highest number of causalities,” Amena Azimi member of the also added.

While the number of casualties from land mines increased in Afghanistan, the government has decreased 80 percent the budged allocated for victim assistance.

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HRW: Two-Thirds of Afghan Girls Do Not Attend School

Two-thirds of girls in Afghanistan currently do not attend school, according to a new report from Human Rights Watch (HRW).

According to 132-page HRW report released on Wednesday, 41 percent of all schools in Afghanistan do not have buildings.

“Many children live too far from the nearest school to be able to attend, which particularly affects girls. Girls are often kept at home due to harmful gender norms that do not value or permit their education,” the report said.

Since the collapse of the Taliban in 2001 and the beginning of international civilian efforts to rebuild the country, girls’ education has become a focal point for both the Afghan government and its major donors.

The HRW report said that the Afghan government and its donors have made “impressive progress” in getting girls to attend school, but it was “not a completed task.”

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UN Concerns Over Civilian Casualties In Airstrikes

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has concerned over civilian casualties in recent airstrikes in the country.

“The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) is gravely concerned by the killing of at least 28 civilians and injury of 16 others – all women and children – during air strikes in Herat and Logar provinces this week,” the organization said in a statement on Thursday.

According to UNAMA’s initial enquiries, airstrikes reportedly targeting Anti-Government Elements in the Shindand district of Herat province on 28 August killed at least 15 civilians and injured four others after munitions hit at least two civilian homes, the statement said.

On 30 August, airstrikes conducted in the Pul-e-Alam district of Logar province killed at least 13 civilians and injured 12 others, UNAMA’s preliminary findings indicate, it added.

UNAMA notes the news release issued by United States Forces in Afghanistan that it is aware of an incident in the Logar area and that they have opened an investigation into it.

UNAMA will continue its independent work to establish the facts around the harm caused to civilians from these attacks, including looking into allegations that Anti-Government Elements deliberately used civilians or civilian locations as a shield.

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