Climate Crisis for Afghan Children: UNICEF says 41% of Afghanistan’s children (about 8.8 million) face overlapping climate hazards like floods, drought, heatwaves, extreme heat, and sand-and-dust storms, with river flooding threatening 1.7+ million kids and malnutrition risks rising. Desertification & Water Stress: UNAMA marks World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought warning that prolonged drought, expanding desertification, and water scarcity are undermining livelihoods and food security, urging rangeland restoration and water protection. Polio Update: WHO reports two new wild poliovirus cases in Afghanistan (Kunar and Helmand), bringing 2026 totals to six, alongside ongoing environmental circulation detected through sewage testing. EU on Rights & Inclusion: The EU calls for an Afghan-led, inclusive political process with full participation of women and all sectors, while condemning Taliban restrictions on women and girls as potentially amounting to gender persecution. Education in the Heat: In Ghor’s Ferozkoh, residents of Kandiwal village are building a school after years of children studying outdoors, citing extreme heat and cold as drivers of illness. Mine Contamination Warning: A UN human rights report highlights how anti-personnel mines keep harming communities for decades, affecting health, education, food security, housing, and development.