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The UN’s Afghan challenge

At stake is the fate of that country’s 38 million people who have been described by the UN as facing a “looming humanitarian catastrophe”. Emphasizing the importance of this issue the conference will be hosted in person by the secretary-general, Antonio Guterres. Guterres will advocate for a boost in funding so that humanitarian operations can continue and appeal for full and unimpeded access to make sure Afghans continue to get the essential services they need.
Afghanistan is facing the collapse of basic services and food and other aid is about to run out, as the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned last week. Millions of Afghans were in need of food aid and health assistance. The agency has released an urgent appeal for $600 million to meet humanitarian needs for 11 million people for the rest of the year amid warnings of drought and starvation.
Over half a million people have been displaced internally in Afghanistan this year as Taliban fighters swept across the country, culminating in their seizure of Kabul on August 15. Medecins Sans Frontieres also warned that the vulnerable healthcare system was facing a “potential collapse”. Even before the Taliban victory, Afghanistan was heavily aid-dependent – with more than a third of the country’s gross domestic product drawn from foreign funding.
Unicef also cautioned that hundreds of children have been separated from their families amidst chaotic conditions in and around the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. And the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said that the crisis has caused significant disruption and threatens Afghanistan’s critical winter wheat season, which is about to begin. Half of the average Afghan’s daily calorific intake comes from wheat, and most of the supply grown in the country is sourced to the upcoming rainfed winter season. As one veteran official put it: “People are again faced with no food in the larder, no food to put on the table, having to sell the little bit of assets or livestock that they have to try to survive."
And malnutrition already affects one in two children under the age of five in Afghanistan, where 14 million people or one-third of the population faces "acute food insecurity", the WFP says.
As several key donors including Germany, the World Bank and EU have suspended their aid following the Taliban’s lightning military victory, spiralling food prices and uncertainty over how the hardline Islamist movement will provide services to an impoverished and largely rural population, the question of aid has become ever more urgent.
In the wake of the Taliban’s takeover the US froze $7 billion of Afghan reserves, while the International Monetary Fund shut off financing to the country, including hundreds of millions of dollars in Special Drawing Rights, which can be converted into currency during times of crisis.
This is extremely difficult problem as the Taliban have been careful to convey positive messages to the international community about access to aid organizations and about freedom for foreign nationals to leave the country by land and air. But it is hard to avoid the conclusion that the UN should take the lead in engaging with the new government in Kabul despite clear reservations about the Taliban attitude to women and turning Afghanistan, as before, into a launching pad for jihadist groups.
Last week’s announcement of a new Taliban caretaker government has not been encouraging: it is an all-male, and Pashtun-dominated cabinet that has ignored calls to form an inclusive administration. And violence against protesters and journalists in Kabul are not positive signals.- despite what observers term a “charm offensive”.
In theory now the US and its allies have real if constricted leverage – again for obvious financial and humanitarian reasons. The UN must offer carrots and sticks to Kabul, and hold back on recognising this new regime until they prove themselves, and their awareness of international expectations.
Lakhdar Brahimi, a former and highly experienced Algerian foreign minister and UN envoy, may also be right: “I have the impression that the international parties involved in Afghanistan realise that boycotting the Taliban in the 1990s was not the best option. Kept in total isolation, the Taliban had a distorted image of the rest of the world…. Likewise, would Usama Bin Laden have been given the opportunity and protection he needed to prepare and execute 9/11 if the Taliban had enjoyed international recognition?”
As Gutteres declared when announcing the Palais des Nations conference in Geneva: "The United Nations stands in solidarity with the people of Afghanistan and is committed to staying and delivering for them”. Let’s hope that the Taliban heed that pretty clear signal and decide to behave accordingly.
by: IAN BLACK

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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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