Following the suspension of U.S. foreign aid at the direction of President Donald Trump, flights for over 40,000 Afghan citizens to the United States have been halted. Reuters reports, citing two American sources, that these individuals include those who were seeking to travel to the United States with Special Immigrant Visas (SIV). Shawn Vandiver, president of the Refugee Advocacy Coalition, stated that most of the individuals hoping to come to the U.S. are currently in Afghanistan, while others are in Pakistan, Qatar, and Albania. The report notes that this coalition is working with the U.S. government to evacuate and resettle Afghan citizens who worked for the United States during the 20-year war. According to Reuters, the order to suspend aid has led to a halt in funding for groups that assist SIV holders in the U.S. with finding housing, education, and employment. Shawn Vandiver expressed hope that the U.S. government would grant exemptions for SIV holders since they worked for the U.S. government in Afghanistan. The White House and the State Department did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. Vandiver and an unnamed U.S. official stated that the suspension of flights for over 40,000 Afghan citizens, including SIV holders waiting to fly to the United States from visa processing centers in Qatar and Albania, has left them in limbo. They emphasized that this number includes Afghans approved for SIV who have been waiting in Afghanistan and Pakistan to be placed on U.S.-funded flights to processing centers in Doha and Tirana for their visas. According to Reuters, since the chaotic U.S. withdrawal in 2021, nearly 200,000 Afghan citizens have been resettled in the United States with SIVs or as refugees. This comes as Trump signed an executive order last week just hours after his inauguration, suspending all refugee resettlement programs in the United States. Under his directive, U.S. foreign aid has also been suspended. According to a report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), since the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan in August 2021, the United States has provided or made available a total of $21.06 billion in aid to Afghanistan and Afghan refugees. The report indicates that this funding includes nearly $3.33 billion that the United States has provided for humanitarian and developmental assistance to Afghanistan.

On the occasion of World Education Day, the World Food Programme has stated that no child should ever be forced to choose between food and education. In a message posted on its X account, the organization noted that it provides "nutritious meals" for over 700,000 students in Afghanistan. The United Nations World Food Programme emphasized that these snacks help students "focus, learn, and build the bright future they deserve." It is worth mentioning that January 24 marks World Education Day. The United Nations states that it has been 1,225 days since the current government's ban on education for girls above the sixth grade. Additionally, after regaining control of Afghanistan, the interim government prohibited girls above the sixth grade from attending school and subsequently closed the doors of universities to girls as well. In a recent move, it has also banned girls from studying in medical institutes, thus completely depriving them of access to formal education. Alongside this, women and girls have been prohibited from going to sports clubs, restaurants, public baths, being examined by male doctors, traveling without a male guardian, working in domestic and international non-governmental organizations, and even at United Nations offices in Afghanistan.

The Norwegian Refugee Council has stated that citizens of Afghanistan have been enduring the worst humanitarian crisis for over three years, pointing to a decrease in global community aid aimed at addressing the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. In a statement, the council noted that millions, including vulnerable women and children, are living in dire conditions and are facing temperatures as low as minus 10 degrees during the winter months. The statement continued that, with the worsening humanitarian crisis in the country, it is essential for international aid organizations to increase their efforts and provide assistance to those in need more than ever before. Jan Egeland, the head of the council who visited Afghanistan last week, mentioned that after decades of conflict, economic collapse, and devastating climate changes, the trend of Afghan migrants returning from neighboring countries has intensified, putting millions of citizens at risk of expulsion from neighboring countries. This senior official of the Norwegian Refugee Council, who recently visited the border point between Afghanistan and Iran, stated that many citizens who left their homeland for a better life and migrated to neighboring countries are now at risk of forced expulsion. He emphasized that these migrants are returning to Afghanistan while facing an uncertain future filled with unemployment, poverty, hunger, and other challenges. According to information from the Norwegian Refugee Council, Iran is attempting to expel at least two million migrants by March of this year, while Pakistan has expelled 800,000 Afghan migrants since October 2023. Jan Egeland also expressed concern over the severe restrictions imposed on women and girls by the interim government, stating that these restrictions will have negative impacts in various sectors. He added that the current government's recent ban on girls' education in medical institutes will directly affect women's health in the country and threaten their work and lives more than ever before. This comes at a time when the current government has imposed numerous restrictions on women and girls since regaining power in Afghanistan. This group banned girls from attending secondary and high schools in September 2021 and subsequently deprived women of education in universities and employment in non-governmental organizations in December 2022.

Jan Egeland, the Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, states that Donald Trump's decision to suspend foreign aid from the United States is concerning. Egeland posted a message on his X account, stating that this is very bad news for Afghanistan. He emphasized: "The 90-day suspension of US foreign aid by Trump is a terrifying event for the displaced and hungry girls of Afghanistan." Egeland further added that Afghanistan should be exempt from this directive. The Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council also noted that women and girls in Afghanistan face even more obstacles regarding healthcare and education. In part of his message, he stressed his support for the international community's call to assist Afghanistan. It is worth mentioning that citizens of the country expect the new US administration to adopt an appropriate approach that considers the interests of the people regarding Afghanistan. They are urging Trump to pressure the current government to help Afghanistan emerge from international isolation and its crisis conditions. After the inauguration ceremony, Donald Trump signed an order indicating that humanitarian aid from the US to foreign countries would be suspended for 90 days to assess whether this aid serves America's interests. Additionally, Trump recently announced that the US is withdrawing from the World Health Organization.

Reuters has reported that an American official and a prominent advocate for refugee resettlement have stated that the flights for 1,660 Afghan citizens, who had been accepted by the U.S. government for resettlement in America, have been canceled at the order of Donald Trump. The report mentions that these individuals include unaccompanied minors waiting to join their families in the United States, as well as refugees who are at risk of retaliation because they fought for the former U.S.-backed government of Afghanistan. Shawn Van Dyke, president of the coalition supporting refugees known as "Afghan Evac," and another source said that the U.S. decision leaves thousands of other Afghans who have been approved for resettlement as refugees in the U.S. but have not yet had flights scheduled from Afghanistan or Pakistan in a state of uncertainty. The White House and the U.S. Department of State, which oversee U.S. refugee programs, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Van Dyke stated, "Afghans and their advocates are terrified. Today I had to charge my phone four times because so many people are calling me." Regarding contact with Trump's transition team, he said, "We warned them that this was going to happen, but they went ahead anyway. We hope they reconsider this." The organization Van Dyke leads is the main coalition working with the U.S. government on evacuating and resettling Afghan refugees in the country since the Taliban took over Kabul. It is noteworthy that since the withdrawal of American forces from Kabul, nearly 200,000 Afghan citizens have been relocated to the United States by the administration of former President Joe Biden. It is expected that one of the dozens of executive orders Trump will sign after being sworn in for a second time on Monday (January 21) will suspend U.S. refugee programs for at least four months. Additionally, the new White House website announced that Mr. Trump will suspend refugee resettlement after communities were forced to accommodate a large number of migrants, putting pressure on community security and resources.

Shir Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the political deputy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the caretaker government, has urged government leaders to create opportunities for education for everyone. Mr. Stanikzai made this statement yesterday (Saturday, January 18) at a ceremony for the graduation of Hafiz and reciters at the "Mazharul Uloom Niazi" religious school in Khost, stating that there is no excuse for keeping educational institutions closed. He emphasized: “Our request to the leaders of the Islamic Emirate is to unconditionally open the doors of knowledge to everyone within the framework of Islamic principles; the world also has differences with us on this matter.” The deputy of the current Ministry of Foreign Affairs added that appointments in institutions should be based on meritocracy and that work should be entrusted to qualified individuals. He stated that if the current system has the support of citizens, no power can stand against it. Over the past three years, Abbas Stanikzai has repeatedly called on the caretaker government to provide educational opportunities for all citizens of Afghanistan. He had previously criticized the lack of reopening schools and universities for girls and expressed hope that schools would open “without discrimination” for everyone. It should be noted that for more than three years, the caretaker government has banned girls above the sixth grade from attending school in Afghanistan. The current Ministry of Higher Education has also prevented Afghan women and girls from studying at universities and educational centers. Additionally, the current government has prohibited women's and girls' education in health institutions. These actions by the current government have resulted in millions of female students being deprived of education. It is worth mentioning that alongside these restrictions, women have been banned from going to sports clubs, restaurants, public baths, being examined by male doctors, traveling without a male guardian, and working in domestic and international non-governmental organizations, as well as even in United Nations offices in Afghanistan.

Tajuddin Ivali, UNICEF representative in Afghanistan, emphasized the need to increase efforts to support the people of this country, especially children, in facing the water crisis. Mr. Ivali warned that the water crisis continues to threaten the lives and survival of children in Afghanistan. On Friday, January 18, he published a message on his X account, expressing gratitude to UNICEF partners for their cooperation with Afghanistan in 2024. According to this UN official, UNICEF provided assistance to one million people, including children, in the past year. Tajuddin Ivali has urged his partners to continue their efforts this year to address the water crisis in the country. While expressing concern over the escalating water crisis in Afghanistan, this UN official noted that the European Union's delegation for Afghanistan stated in August of this year that drought, pollution, and excessive water use threaten the water resources of the people. Moreover, according to a report published by the United Nations Development Programme at the end of 2023, Afghanistan ranked sixth among countries vulnerable to climate change. Additionally, Roza Otunbayeva, head of UNAMA (United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan), stated that Afghanistan remains vulnerable to climate change. UNAMA posted on its X account that Ms. Otunbayeva made these remarks at the "National Climate Change Conference" in Kabul and committed to addressing financial issues related to climate change. The head of UNAMA emphasized that options are being sought to amplify Afghanistan's voice at the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference.