The United Kingdom’s new government is promising a reversal of what many viewed as a cruel and inhumane policy.
Also in today’s edition: Women in Afghanistan step out of the shadows to tackle their country’s water crisis, and virtual reality gets real.
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Long-awaited reunion
For three years, the U.K.’s Conservative government broke a promise to reunite the families of Afghan refugees who had fled to the United Kingdom to escape retribution from the Taliban for helping U.S.-led forces — leaving their families in perilous limbo.
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The new Labour government, however, is trying to fulfill that unkept promise. A rule change will allow the refugees to apply to bring over thousands of spouses, partners, and children, many of whom are trapped in Pakistan and at risk of deportation back to Afghanistan after a crackdown by the government in Islamabad.
That means 31-year-old Muhammad — whose story my colleague Rob Merrick revealed last September — may finally be able to see his wife and two children again.
“They are in hiding in Pakistan, without the freedom to go out, to go to the market. Recently, the police knocked on the door and my wife was afraid and stayed inside for five days,” he says.
Muhammad was forced to leave without his family because bombs were going off at the Kabul airport and children were being “crushed” in the stampede, but U.K. officials told him “don’t worry” because they would join him later.
Instead, the evacuees were denied full refugee status and granted “indefinite leave to remain” with no family reunion rights, under a rule condemned by aid organizations.
Now a civil engineer who has completed a master’s degree in construction management since moving to the U.K., Muhammad said his wife broke into tears when he phoned to tell her there is hope they can be reunited.
“My son, who is four, asked me where is London and what is it like,” he tells Rob. “We are all very happy and excited that this route is opening up to bring my family to this country.”
Read: UK rips up harsh refugee rule that separated Afghan families
Background reading: ‘Unacceptable’ UK refugee rules tear apart Afghan families
+ Check out our page dedicated to coverage of the U.K. aid sector.
When it rains, it pours
Back in Afghanistan, people are trying to make the best of a terrible situation. Since the Taliban takeover in 2021, there has been a 27% contraction in the Afghan economy, according to the United Nations Development Programme. The lack of money has triggered a cascade of misery, including water scarcity.
Before 2021, about 30% of Afghans purchased drinking water from private vendors, but as the economic crisis deepened, more people were forced to rely on unsafe water sources. The resulting malnutrition and outbreaks of waterborne disease are hitting children hard, keeping them from school and other essential services, with women usually being the ones to stay home and care for them.
It only adds to the travails of women who have been virtually erased from public life by the Taliban.
The “Women, Work, and Water,” or 3Ws, program, launched by UNDP and the Japanese government, is trying to help both the environment and women by using water management as a starting point.
The program aims to create green jobs that promote sustainable practices and economic independence for 250,000 women and youth by linking water management with economic opportunities. Among other things, it’s looking at how to improve infrastructure for water collection and storage — such as rainwater harvesting — and enhance the management of existing resources, Stephen Rodriques, UNDP’s resident representative in Afghanistan, tells Devex contributor Katrina Lane.
Including women in decision-making roles is also central to the program, Rodriques says: “Empowering women and ensuring their participation in all sectors is essential for the country’s sustainable development and resilience.”
Read: Why women are key to managing Afghanistan’s water crisis
Virtual trifecta
The Netflix series “3 Body Problem” – based on the cult Chinese sci-fi novel series – is an international tale of aliens and physics in which characters use stand-alone virtual reality, or VR, headsets to simulate and respond to extraterrestrial challenges mirroring current global issues.
Drs. Shreenik Kundu, Ayla Gerk , Dan Poenaru, and John Meara want to take the technology one step further and actually apply it to those global issues. No aliens needed.
“If fictional characters can use VR to navigate extraterrestrial challenges, why cannot we use existing VR technologies to prepare our first responders for the real-world ‘three-body problem’ of climate-driven disasters, conflicts, and pandemics?” they ask in a Devex opinion piece. “These issues collectively threaten planetary health, and today’s VR technology holds transformative potential in addressing these three global scourges of our time.”
For example, today’s VR technology can simulate scenarios with striking realism, they write, allowing medical personnel to train in diverse and complex conditions without the risks of going to actual disaster zones.
Likewise, VR can be used to help the world better prepare for pandemics, ensuring that high-quality training is accessible even in resource-limited settings.
“The Netflix series serves as a reminder of the power of immersive experiences to affect perceptions and inspire action,” they write. “Similarly, VR holds the potential to train and fundamentally transform how we respond to the challenges of planetary health.”
Opinion: How VR can help respond to the ‘3 Body Problem’ in global aid
+ At a recent Devex event, professionals from OpenAI, Gates Foundation, and UN Women explored practical applications of AI in global development, including live demos of some of the tech tools they use, exclusively for Devex Pro members.
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You’ve got a friend in me
That is essentially what U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin — chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee — told a room of 50 USAID mission directors and some 150 others gathered on Capitol Hill Tuesday night.
“I want you to know I’m on your side, and I’m going to do everything I possibly can to support what you do,” said Cardin, speaking at an event hosted by the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network in Washington, D.C. “We’ve got to do a better job in providing you with what you need in order to carry out this critical mission.”
Cardin was speaking days after the Senate Appropriation Committee passed its foreign affairs funding bill, which would provide $61.6 billion for USAID, the State Department, and other international agencies and programs. The bill proposes a figure nearly $10 billion higher than the mirroring piece of legislation in the House of Representatives.
Still, Cardin acknowledged that even the Senate bill budget is far lower than what’s needed to respond to challenges across the world.
“The pie is just not large enough, and we have to do a better job in figuring out how to get the resources we need,” Cardin said. “Can we spend the money more efficiently? Yes. Are we looking at that? Yes. But we’ve got to have the resources to be competitive globally, and the stakes have never been higher.”
ICYMI: Billions slashed in House's 'meat cleaver approach' to foreign affairs
Related: 2024 US foreign affairs funding bill a 'slow-motion gut punch' (Pro)
+ On our radar for August: USAID acquisition and assistance expert Chuck Pope will return on Aug. 27 for another ask-me-anything session on how to work with USAID and what implementing partners should know ahead of the elections. Save your spot and add the event to your calendar.
In other news
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced a pause of over $95 million in aid to Georgia after its parliament passed a “foreign agents” law. [Politico]
The Food and Agriculture Organization chief's trip to North Korea has ignited controversy, with former U.S. officials and aid experts questioning whether the ex-Chinese official is using his U.N. role to advance China's political interests. [VOA]
G7 foreign ministers issued a declaration supporting Venezuelans and are questioning the disputed election results that triggered nationwide protests. [Reuters]
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About the author
Anna Gawel
Anna Gawel is the Managing Editor of Devex. She previously worked as the managing editor of The Washington Diplomat, the flagship publication of D.C.’s diplomatic community. She’s had hundreds of articles published on world affairs, U.S. foreign policy, politics, security, trade, travel and the arts on topics ranging from the impact of State Department budget cuts to Caribbean efforts to fight climate change. She was also a broadcast producer and digital editor at WTOP News and host of the Global 360 podcast. She holds a journalism degree from the University of Maryland in College Park.
