Daily Evacuation Brief | February 24, 2022
Daily news about Afghanistan and the surrounding region powered by Operation Snow Leopard
Threat Analysis
LAST 24 HOURS:
The Taliban have warned local security forces about “shoot first” practices that are alienating the citizens. The warnings come after several civilians were shot and killed near checkpoints around the country.
The Kabul Passport office announced they are issuing 500 passports per day. They are only currently issuing to government employees, athletes, and medical patients at this time.
A weekend attack on a Pakistani military convoy operating on the Makuran Coastal highway was reported. The attack purportedly caused heavy losses, but no official count of the Pakistani dead and wounded has been made. Three Baloch fighters were killed and five more severely wounded. Pakistani gunships arrived late to the scene and the majority of the ambush forces escaped.
The Taliban has reportedly intensified security around Panjshir and have deployed more forces and helicopters to the province. The security forces have not been allowing travel out of Panjshir for the last 24 hours.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister pleaded for help at the United Nations and asked that countries put pressure on Moscow to halt its provocative invasion plans.
NEXT 24 HOURS:
Expect stepped up patrolling in Herat over the next several days. A threat was made against a Hazara cleric (unknown at this point) by ISIS-K.
Several people have reported unilateral denials of Pakistan visas over the last two days, and the consulate is expected to clarify the issue on its official website.
ANALYSIS SPOTLIGHT
To assist our colleagues involved in the evacuation effort, we felt sharing the following excellent resources compiled by the Mixed Migration Centre (MMi) may be helpful. Although the information is primarily gleaned from Afghans who made journeys in late 2021, much of it remains relevant with regard to risk and safety. We strongly encourage organizations involved in refugee operations to follow the Mixed Migration Centre-Asia for updates and to share with at-risk Afghans still in the country. MMi maintains an active network of monitors residing in the region who provide timely and accurate information.
MMi Snapshot: Afghans to Greece
MMi Snapshot: Afghans to Turkey
MMi Quarterly Mixed Migration Update (FEB 2021) - Asia
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 91.64 AFN (as of 24 FEB 2022)
Afghan News
MoI to Kabul Police: 'Professionals' Must Run Checkpoints
By TOLO News
At a security meeting, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) leadership ordered security forces to not open fire on…
By Syed Zabiullah Langari – The National Interest
In a heavily guarded street in Kabul’s green zone near a bunch of Western embassies, a TV station was…
Interior minister warns against night raids on civilian homes
By Efanyar – Pajhwok Afghan News
Security forces have the right to fire back only when they are attacked during patrols or search operations, the interior minister said on…
500 passports being issued daily in Kabul: Officials
By Ariana News
Officials from the General Directorate of Passports at the Ministry of Interior (MoI) said Wednesday that they are issuing at…
Regional News
Uzbekistan discusses food security cooperation with Afghanistan
By ANI
Amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the Uzbek government on Wednesday expressed its intention…
Work on trans-Afghan railway project to be expedited
By Pajhwok Afghan News
Pakistan and Uzbekistan have agreed to speed up work on the 573-kilometer trans-Afghan railway project.
International News Relating to Afghanistan
Verification Slows Afghan Refugees’ Departure to US
By Ardita Zeqiri – Prishtina Insight
The departure to America of the remaining Afghan refugees in Kosovo depends on completion of a series of…
U.S. restricts importation of some Afghan archaeological, ethnological material
By Ariana News
The United States has imposed restrictions on importation of certain categories of Afghan archaeological and ethnological material into…
The Absurdity of the Day
Taliban get French radars for three Afghan provinces
By The Times of India – ANI
The Taliban have received three French Radars that have to be placed in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul, Balkh, and Herat province, local media reported…
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Postscript.
We believe in sharing many opinions and looking from many different perspectives. This means we do not necessarily agree with everything shared in the news or contributor articles, but we believe it’s important to treat other perspectives with respect and to consider their point of view.