Daily Evacuation Brief | January 10, 2022

Daily news about Afghanistan and the surrounding region, powered by Operation Snow Leopard

Welcome to the Daily Evacuation Brief. For more in-depth intelligence analysis and crisis research, please subscribe to our members-only newsletter, which comes out twice a week: Whispers & Anatomy of a Crisis.

Threat Analysis

LAST 24 HOURS:  The death of 9 children in Nangarhar province yesterday is cause for suspicion among groups critical of the Taliban.  Local officials claimed the blast was caused by an unexploded mortar shell, but many opposition groups suspect ISIS-K was behind the bombing.

NEXT 24 HOURS:  Increased patrolling in Nangarhar and neighboring provinces could indicate the blast was not an accident.  If the Taliban becomes more active it is likely some arrests and localized violence could ensue.  It is possible the unrest in Kazakhstan may trigger the closing of borders in the region as regional security precautions are enacted.

THREAT UPDATE:  The Taliban Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi’s recent call for exiled Afghans to return has erupted on social media and those under threat should be wary of sharing criticisms in open forums to avoid targeting by Taliban ‘snoops’ looking to target dissidents.

Afghani to the Dollar: .0095 - 1

Weather: 48 Degrees / 41 Degrees Fahrenheit

Afghan News

Mortar shell explosion kills 9 children in eastern Afghanistan | Al Jazeera

An explosion in eastern Afghanistan near the border with Pakistan has killed at least nine children and wounded four others, according to local officials. The blast on Monday took place when a cart selling food items struck an old, unexploded mortar shell in Baiganan village in the district of Lalopar, according to a statement from the office of the governor of Nangarhar province…

Taliban FM meets exiled leaders, including son of ‘Lion of Panjshir’ in Iran | The Newarb

The Taliban's foreign minister said on Monday he held talks in Iran on the weekend with Ahmad Massoud, son of the late legendary Afghan resistance leader Ahmad Shah Massoud, and guaranteed his security if he returned home…

Afghanistan Faces Worsening Crisis Amid Harsh Winter | Afghanistan Times

KABUL: UN humanitarians have warned that a harsh winter in Afghanistan is aggravating already severe conditions faced by millions across the country. Heavy snowfall and rain have impacted many areas across Afghanistan, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)…

Regional News

Iran says won’t officially recognise Taliban after Tehran talks | Al Jazeera

Tehran, Iran – Iran is still some time away from officially recognising the Taliban as the government of neighbouring Afghanistan, its foreign ministry says, after a meeting with the group in Tehran. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said Sunday’s high-level talks with Taliban representatives were “positive”, but Iran is still “not at the point of officially recognising Taliban”…

Kazakhstan says 164 killed in last week’s protests | AP News

MOSCOW (AP) — Kazakhstan authorities said Sunday that 164 people, including a 4-year-old girl, were killed in a week of protests that marked the worst unrest since the former Soviet republic gained independence 30 years ago…

Uzbekistan ends gas exports to China, abandons price increases at home | Eurasianet

Uzbekistan’s government has halted natural gas exports and appears to be quietly ignoring its recent pledge to increase fuel prices at the start of the year. The change comes after neighboring Kazakhstan saw violent unrest last week that began with protests over a surge in prices for liquified petroleum gas, or LPG, which is often used to fuel cars…

International News Relating to Afghanistan

Iran calls for release of Afghan funds during Taliban envoy’s visit | Reuters

KABUL, Jan 10 (Reuters) - The Taliban administration's acting foreign minister travelled to Iran to meet with his Iranian counterpart, who called for Afghan financial assets blocked since the Taliban takeover to be released for humanitarian purposes…

Before you go:

To support our work, become a monthly subscriber or donate here.

All our funds go toward caseworkers supporting evacuations, the evacuations themselves, and/or operational costs to keep this mission going.

$110 feeds a family for one month. $30 feeds a family for a week. $5 feeds a family for a day.*

We won’t forget our allies.

*Average costs. Actual costs may vary due to conditions on the ground.