The Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, which has been operating in Afghanistan for over 40 years, announced the complete cessation of its activities in the country.
The organization said that it has closed all its offices in Afghanistan and will henceforth operate from outside the country as "Solidarity Committee for Afghanistan."
In a statement, the committee said: "SCA no longer implements activities in Afghanistan and our offices have closed. Outside Afghanistan we now operate under the name of Solidarity Committee for Afghanistan."
This comes after the Islamic Emirate suspended the operations of Swedish organizations in Afghanistan in July last year in response to the burning of a copy of the Holy Quran by a Swedish citizen.
The Swedish Committee for Afghanistan mainly focused on providing aid to women, children, and people with disabilities.
Although officials of the Islamic Emirate have not yet commented on the suspension of the Swedish Committee’s activities in Afghanistan, some experts say that humanitarian assistance from organizations like the Swedish Committee benefits Afghanistan. They suggest that the Islamic Emirate should adopt a suitable mechanism to allow such organizations to continue their operations.
Economic analyst Shakir Yaqubi said: "If the Islamic Emirate reviews its strict policies or restrictions imposed on international organizations in Afghanistan, this could naturally enhance Afghanistan's international credibility and attract other international organizations to the country."
Another economic expert, Lal Zazai, said: "It is necessary to establish a mechanism through mutual agreement to align the goals of the Afghan government with those of the Swedish government."
According to information provided by the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, the organization operated in 16 provinces of the country in 2023 with approximately 7,000 Afghan employees.
The Islamic Emirate suspended the activities of the Swedish Committee in Afghanistan earlier this year in response to the burning of the Quran in Sweden.
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