UNICEF highlights urgent needs of children after a powerful 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan August 31, with its epicentre near Jalalabad in Nangarhar province. Early reports indicate that the earthquake has killed over 2,200 people and injured thousands, causing widespread destruction to homes and infrastructure.
“In times like these, it is children who suffer first and suffer most,” UNICEF said.
Afghanistan’s children, already facing one of the world’s toughest humanitarian crises, now face further loss of homes, safety, and loved ones.
UNICEF teams are said to be on the ground, working with local partners and UN agencies to respond rapidly to urgent needs. Immediate priorities include life-saving interventions across health, nutrition, safe water, sanitation, child protection, temporary shelter, and psychosocial support.Source: UNICEF
Support from UNICEF and its partners includes deploying mobile health and nutrition teams to treat the injured and screen children for malnutrition. Thousands of cartons of essential nutrition supplies, including ready-to-use therapeutic food, have been dispatched. UNICEF is also distributing water purification tablets and hundreds of family hygiene kits to affected communities.
In addition, UNICEF is providing family tracing and reunification services for unaccompanied and separated children in the area. These efforts aim to protect the most vulnerable children and help them recover from the trauma caused by the earthquake.
“Children have suffered the most in this disaster. We are doing everything possible to save lives and protect children, but urgent help is needed today,” a UNICEF spokesperson voiced.
Earlier, China provided earthquake relief aid to Afghanistan. Bao Xuhui, charge d’affaires at the Chinese Embassy in Afghanistan, met with Muhammad Alam Alamyar, general director of administration at the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA), to deliver relief contributions from the embassy, Chinese organizations, and the Overseas Chinese Association.
The United Kingdom also committed £1mn ($1.34mn) in emergency assistance for families affected by the quake. This funding is set to be split equally between the UNFPA and the IFRC to deliver urgent humanitarian support to the hardest-hit areas.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres voiced solidarity with Afghanistan, assuring that the UN team would “spare no effort” in aiding those impacted. Multiple UN agencies, including UNICEF, WHO, UNHCR, and OCHA, are actively providing emergency relief, medical services, and logistical support on the ground.
The State Energy Institute of Turkmenistan (SEIT) has inaugurated a set of new green facilities designed to promote energy efficiency and sustainability in higher education. The opening ceremony marked the launch of a teaching building, a sports complex, a student dormitory, and a clean energy monument, all of which serve as pilot projects under a United Nations Development Program (UNDP) initiative.
The project, carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan and financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), aims to strengthen national capacity by improving the regulatory environment for energy-efficient and sustainable construction.
The new facilities integrate a wide range of environmentally friendly solutions, including energy-saving technologies, solar installations, and water conservation systems. They are designed not only to reduce consumption and greenhouse gas emissions but also to create a healthier and more comfortable learning environment for students.Source: UNDP Turkmenistan
UNDP played a central role throughout the project, offering technical support and expert guidance from the design stage through construction and commissioning. Together with SEIT scientists and the Institute's Scientific and Production Center for Renewable Energy, UNDP specialists monitored energy and water use during the final stages of construction. The findings confirmed that “green” building standards and innovative technologies had been effectively embedded.
At the ceremony, UNDP awarded SEIT with “Green Certificates,” recognizing the institute's achievements in sustainable construction. The certificates highlight SEIT's adoption of renewable energy solutions, water-saving systems, and reduced energy consumption, while also emphasizing the institute's role in engaging students in sustainable practices and fostering a culture of environmental responsibility.
The initiative builds on earlier cooperation between UNDP and SEIT under the “Sustainable Cities in Turkmenistan: Integrated Green Urban Development in Ashgabat and Awaza” project, which promoted renewable energy use and energy-efficient technologies in urban planning. Both projects align with Turkmenistan's commitments under the Paris Agreement and contribute to advancing the country's national sustainable development goals.
In the long term, SEIT's new facilities are expected to serve as a model for constructing low-energy buildings across Turkmenistan. By strengthening SEIT's expertise in renewable energy and energy efficiency, the project also supports the wider adoption of “green” technologies in the country's construction and energy sectors.
The signing took place during the eighth meeting of the Kazakhstan-China Business Council in Beijing, attended by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The Investment Agreement and the Power Purchase Agreement were signed by Kazakhstan's Ministry of Energy and China Energy Engineering Group, underlining the project's high strategic importance.
The new solar power plant will be built in the Sauran district of Turkestan region with an estimated investment of $320mn. Construction is scheduled for 2025–2026.
Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov, who recently held talks with the leadership of Chinese energy corporations, emphasized the project's significance.
"Today's signing is a practical result of our joint work and a symbol of deepening strategic partnership with China in the field of green energy. This project will strengthen our energy system, create new jobs, and will be an important step towards achieving carbon neutrality goals," Akkenzhenov said.
The plant is expected to boost the energy security of southern Kazakhstan, diversify the country's energy mix, and increase the share of renewables in overall power generation.
Officials also note that the initiative will contribute to developing local expertise in renewable technologies and reinforce Kazakhstan's role as a regional leader in the green energy transition.
The commission noted that despite regulatory testing requirements introduced in November 2024, there has been no sharp change in the number of official vehicle sales. Instead, the number of light vehicles imported by individuals rose by 2,693 units in the first half of 2025 compared with the same period a year earlier.
To streamline procedures, the validity of type approval documents for vehicles sold to legal entities has been extended from three to five years. Meanwhile, from September 2, 2025, the requirement to test personally imported cars for electromagnetic compatibility and toxic substance emissions inside the cabin will be scrapped. On the same day, the Agency for Technical Regulation announced that vehicle testing at the Piskent auto polygon had been suspended.
The commission has also tasked the agency with submitting proposals to increase private sector involvement in establishing conformity assessment centers and improving the accreditation system.
In addition, the Committee for the Development of Competition and Consumer Protection and the Ministry of Economy and Finance will analyze the gap in vehicle prices between official and unofficial dealers and recommend ways to optimize and regulate prices.
Authorities stressed that the Technical Regulatory Agency will continue market surveillance to monitor the safety and quality of imported vehicles. In cases of non-compliance with regulations or consumer complaints, appropriate measures will be taken.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed a presentation outlining new measures aimed at building a value-added chain in Uzbekistan's agricultural sector on September 4.
Over the past few years, the country has introduced structural reforms to increase efficiency in agriculture. Cotton and grain areas were reduced to make room for food production, while 160,000 hectares of new orchards and vineyards were established. In addition, 1,500 food projects worth $1bn have been launched.
Despite these efforts, the shadow economy continues to play a large role in the sector, with many agricultural products not being fully recorded. Currently, the value-added tax (VAT) on food sales stands at 12%.Source: Presidential Press Service
This issue was highlighted during President Mirziyoyev's open dialogue with entrepreneurs, where he stressed the need to ease the tax burden on farmers and encourage transparency.
Following consultations with the International Monetary Fund and experts, the government has decided that starting January 1 next year, agricultural enterprises will pay zero VAT on sales of domestically produced agricultural products—excluding grain and cotton—to farmers.
At the same time, farmers will continue to benefit from VAT refunds on production-related costs such as seeds, fertilizers, fuel, transportation, and electricity.Source: Presidential Press Service
According to government estimates, this reform will leave UZS 300bn ($24.2mn) in the hands of farmers annually, while also enabling them to reclaim another UZS 400bn ($32.3mn) in taxes.
Officials expect the new system to encourage transparent practices, strengthen food production, and lay the groundwork for the expansion of industrial-scale plantations and processing plants.
Authorities have been instructed to ensure that farmers are fully informed about the new system, which is designed to ease financial pressure and boost output across the agricultural sector.
