Daily Evacuation Brief | July 14, 2023
LAST 24 HOURS
WOMEN PROTEST CLOSURES OF BEAUTY SALONS – Citing serious economic ramifications of forcing roughly 12,000 places of business to close, salon owners and those employed in the beauty industry protested last week at the headquarters of the Union of Women’s Beauty Salons. Many who were interviewed about the new policy said the career was one of the few left to women in a country that is increasingly resembling the Afghanistan of the 1990s. Many of the women who spoke to journalists say the world has turned its back on them and there are no options for the many widows and primary incomes for households. Those few voices that urged moderation and more liberalized treatment of women have now been silenced and the Deobandist school of ‘thought’ is settling over Afghanistan like a grain sack.
KABUL’S WATER PROBLEM IS GETTING WORSE – Drinking water in the capital is scarce and getting scarcer. Private companies that are selling drinking water have ballooned in 2023 and private citizens who have contracted for these services are often told they must come in and sign new contracts with the ever-present fee increases. For its part, the Taliban’s Directorate of Water says there is no emergency and the system is working as it should. Normal citizens are left to purify water themselves and this often involves boiling the liquid which adds additional expenses for the fuel required. It is not clear how widespread the problem is in other parts of the country but Kabul is definitely facing a crisis. According to the US Center for Disease Control, there are some approved methods of purifying water at home and we have included those in THIS LINK.
POPULAR RADIO STATION IN BALKH FORCED TO SHUTTER OPERATIONS – Nehad Radio has suspended its programming due to financial difficulties. Costs associated with powering the station were cited as the primary reason the station has been forced to close but other issues were contributing factors. Among those listed was a lack of funding from external supporters and challenges that all media outlets are facing with regard to accessing information. The station had been in operation for sixteen years but was reeling from a questionable fire that took place earlier this year that damaged equipment. In total, 25 people have lost their jobs (7 of whom are women) as a result of the closure.
PAKISTAN’S PM COMMITS TO HANDING OVER GOVERNMENT POWER TO INTERIM GOVERNMENT IN AUGUST – Yesterday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif informed the country that his government will vacate its role in August and let an interim government lead it through the election period. The expected date of transfer is said to be 14 August. Pakistan’s constitution allows for several methods of naming an interim leader but the process is expected to be contentious. Political party leaders have already begun meeting to decide on an interim Prime Minister.
NEXT 24 HOURS
NO THREATS REPORTED
REGIONAL ROUNDUP
IRAN
Iran-backed militias are close to consolidating their forces in Eastern Syria and some observers say a confrontation with the US could happen soon. Locals have been photographed leaving their villages in those areas where conflict is likely.
The Iranian regime has called the Italian Ambassador ‘on the carpet’ in Tehran to protest the high-level meetings of the MKO leader, Maryam Rajavi, and several Italian lawmakers from the foreign relations committee.
2 condemned men were executed on Wednesday for purportedly killing a police officer in late 2021. The circumstances surrounding the murder of the police officer have been disputed.
PAKISTAN
The National Meteorological Department issued warnings that more flooding could occur at the end of next week as heavy rain is in the forecast for a five-day period (July 20th-25th). Rescue operations have been underway in the inundated Sutlej District for the last forty-eight hours.
After several major deposits, the country’s foreign reserves neared $10 billion dollars yesterday.
US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken congratulated Pakistan on the successful completion of the IMF deal. He said the US stands by the Pakistani people.
SPOTLIGHT ANALYSIS
What the Taliban’s Defensive Public Messaging Reveals
By Andrew Watkins - USIP
In the nearly two years since the Taliban’s takeover, much of the Afghan population continues to struggle to meet basic daily needs amid a severe humanitarian crisis. The Taliban have imposed a raft of draconian restrictions on Afghan women and girls, effectively erasing them from public life. Yet, in a recent public address, the Taliban’s supreme leader, the emir Sheikh Haibatullah Akhundzada, claimed his government has provided Afghan women with a “comfortable and prosperous life.”
AFGHAN NEWS
Authorities Confirm Closure of Teacher Training Centers Across Afghanistan
By Fidel Rahmati - Khaama Press
The Taliban authorities have confirmed shut down of “Teacher Training Centers” in Afghanistan, claiming that the previous government removed it…
Citizens Criticize Bank Restrictions on Withdrawals
By Bibi Amina Hakimi - TOLO News
It has been two years since banks imposed restrictions on withdrawing funds and citizens of the country are once again criticizing the…
Salang Pass reconstruction project officially underway
By Ariana News
During the opening ceremony, Baradar said: “After the Qosh Tepa Canal, this is the second largest national and economic project, and once complete, the…
REGIONAL NEWS
Iran deports nearly 18,000 Afghan migrants
By Ahmet Dursun - Anadolu Agency
“Some 17,926 Afghan migrants were deported in the last 10 days,” police chief of the northeastern Khorasan-e-Razavi province…
Extension of China-Pakistan Corridor to Afghanistan Presents Challenges
By VOA
The Taliban may have achieved a diplomatic win in an agreement to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan, analysts said, but implementation of the project still faces…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
Two accused of swindling Afghan refugees plead not guilty
By Belinda Feek - News Talk ZB
The men, aged 30 and 34, reappeared in the Hamilton District Court today after being charged by the Serious Fraud Office [SFO] over alleged payments they received from those refugees…
Afghan Refugee Finds New Career In California Playing A Film Character A Lot Like Herself
By Will Tizard - RFE
In her first-ever acting role, Anaita Wali Zada plays a haunted young immigrant named Donya who finds herself beached in the northern California city of…
THE DAILY WTF
Deputy Minister Claims '95%' of Afghans Do Not Want Women to Work
By Mohammad Farshad Daryosh - TOLO News
The deputy Minister of Public Work (MoPW), Din Mohammad Haqbin, claimed that 95 percent of the population of Afghanistan do not want women to…
“Hmmmm” TAD Staff
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 86.17 AFN (as of 14 JUL 2023)