[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS
- FLOODS IN BADAKHSHAN DISRUPT COMMUNICATIONS, CLAIM LIVES – The official count of those killed in the flooding in Badakhshan stands at 6 with another 8-16 injured. However, accurate reporting from the Province has been difficult due to a communications breakdown in cellular services. It is not clear when the systems will be brought back online.
- PAKISTAN DEPORTS OVER 500 AFGHAN REFUGEES TUESDAY – Taliban authorities confirmed that Pakistan had deported approximately 530 Afghan refugees through Spin Boldak Gate on Tuesday. The majority of the refugees had reportedly crossed into Pakistan via Spin Boldak on Sunday and Monday but were turned around and forced back across the border due to a lack of legitimate travel documents.
- ICRC PLANS TO EXPAND PROGRAMS – ICRC officials announced that an expansion of their programs would soon start after meetings with Taliban officials in Kandahar concluded on Tuesday. It was not clear if the expansion was solely for Kandahar Province or, more widely distributed across the country. Health care was the primary sector where assistance was required. Details on which programs would be expanded and in what sectors have not yet been provided.
- CANADA ANNOUNCES NEW ECONOMIC PROGRAM FOR SKILLED REFUGEES – The Minister of Immigration, Sean Fraser, announced the launch of 2 new pathways to attract refugees and displaced persons with skills needed in the Canadian economy. The Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot allows employers in Canada to peruse a pool of skilled laborers from among those displaced populations in order to fill critical experience gaps. The program promises to be faster than traditional pathways while also doing away with the requirement of having to have worked for the Canadian government in some fashion. The two programs are organized along the following lines:
- Skilled refugees who currently hold job offers from Canadian companies.
- Skilled refugees without such offers.
- More information about the programs can be accessed HERE.
CONFLICT TRACKER
Parwan: A Taliban fighter was reportedly killed by an unidentified Resistance group mid-morning in an unidentified location within the province.
NEXT 24 HOURS
SOME TTP MEMBERS REPORTEDLY PREPARING TO RESIST FORCED DISPLACEMENTS ALONG THE DURAND LINE – A source in Kabul said that a senior Taliban commander had been sent to discuss the resettlement program with Waziri tribal elders in order to prevent any bloodshed when the program begins. While several community meetings have already taken place, this meeting was organized after Kabul received reports that local TTP members had disappeared from the communities and a report of a convoy of trucks that may have been carrying arms and ammunition from Pakistan reputedly crossed the border to the North of the fence and is thought to consist of arms shipments intended for the TTP on the Afghan side of the border. Kabul does not currently know if the TTP fighters intend to resist the Taliban when the time comes or if they plan to launch operations against Pakistani border forces. While we have no confirmation of this information, it seems feasible that TTP loyalists will likely resist the resettlement effort. Kabul was unsure of how many TTP members may be consolidating in the area, or where they have established a rally point. |