Urban Planning & Water: Herat’s long-awaited comprehensive master plan has been approved, with promises of zoning, expanded roads, industrial areas, new terminals, green spaces, and upgrades to water supply and sewage—aimed at preventing unplanned construction and improving daily life. Humanitarian Drought Fallout: UN officials warn Bamyan’s drought and food insecurity are driving families to abandon villages, creating “ghost villages” where lack of water and failed crops leave people with few options. Returnees Support: The EU announced €20 million via IOM to help Afghanistan returnees and displaced families shift from dependency toward self-reliance, including livelihoods and access to essential services through community resource centres. Climate & Education Stress: A UN report says conflict and climate shocks have disrupted education for 258 million children worldwide, with nearly 100 million out of school—Afghanistan among the hardest-hit. Water Security Research: Kazakhstan and Afghanistan signed cooperation on water resources management and climate-smart agriculture, setting up training and joint research to tackle water and food security challenges. Displacement Trends: UNHCR reports global forced displacement fell for the first time in a decade, but figures remain “unacceptably high,” with Afghanistan among countries seeing high return rates.