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By Nefishetu Yakubu

The Management of Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) Plc, has said it had so far installed 40,000 pre-paid meters across Edo, Delta, Ekiti and Ondo, its franchise states.

Mrs Funke Osibodu, the Managing Director/CEO, BEDC disclosed this at a media parley with newsmen in Benin, on Thursday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in 2020, President Muhammadu Buhari initiated the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) to meter about one million electricity customers nationwide.

Osibodu told journalists that each distribution company (Disco) was allocated a number of meters to be installed for its customers, saying that BEDC had taken delivery of 54,198 out the 75,870 allocated to its customers under the NMMP phase zero level.

She explained that the meters were being installed on the pole, to reduce the incidence of bypass and other forms of energy theft prevalent on the network.

“Generally, the NMMP has been working well but slowed down a bit during this rainy season. The next phase called phase one, will commence soon.

”BEDC has been improving on the power supply arrangements for the five classes of customers categorisation,” she said.

The Managing Director also disclosed that between 2019 to date, BEDC had inaugurated several projects to boost its network infrastructure, in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic.

She listed the projects to include: the UNIBEN 15MVA-the UNIBEN 33/11KVA injection substation which, she said, had stabilised power supply to the institution and its environs.

“33/11KV injection substation Benin in Edo, DDPA Warri 7.5MVA, 33/11KV injection substation in Delta and 33KV LILO at Evbuabogun injection substation Benin in Edo, among others,” she said.

According to her, BEDC had also reconnected a total of 108 transformers back to the national grid across it’s franchise state of Edo, Delta, Ekiti and Ondo.

“Out of this figure, 34 were reconnected in Edo, 55 in Delta, 12 in Ondo and seven in Ekiti.

“Recognising the financial difficulties that customers are going through, especially during this COVID-19 period, BEDC has also begun a debt repayment scheme for customers in its coverage areas.

“It is a soft landing for customers to settle their outstanding debts. The scheme offers discounts ranging from five per cent to 25 per cent”, she said.

Osibodu added that customers under the scheme, are required to make a 25 per cent down payment and spread the balance over four years.

She disclosed that BEDC had increased the number of its Point of Sale (POS) terminals from 1,175 to 1,341 and had concluded plans to introduce Electronic Billing (e-billing) platforms across it’s franchise areas. (NAN)

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom released the following statement regarding today’s July jobs report, which showed that California added 114,400 new jobs last month, more new jobs than any other state. This follows 71,500 jobs created in June, 94,700 jobs created in May, 102,000 jobs created in April, 132,400 jobs created in March and 156,100 jobs created in February – totaling 671,100 new jobs created this year.

“California continues to lead the nation’s economic recovery, adding 114,400 new jobs in July – more new jobs than any other state, and the fourth time this year of six-figure job gains. We’ll continue to lead with the science and data, prioritizing vaccinations and supporting those workers and small businesses hit hardest by this pandemic, to create the conditions for a robust economic recovery.”

The unemployment rate of 7.6 percent in July 2021 is 5.6 percentage points better than that of July 2020 and is California’s lowest unemployment rate since March 2020. From February 2021 through July 2021, California has added 671,100 total non-farm payroll jobs, which is an average of 111,850 jobs per month for that time period. Of the 2,714,800 jobs lost in March and April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, California has now regained 1,582,900 jobs (58.3 percent). Nine of California’s 11 industry sectors gained jobs in July. Leisure & Hospitality (+56,600) continued to have the state’s largest month-over increase for the sixth straight month thanks to significant increases in Food Services and Drinking Places.

Higher Education, Science and Innovation Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, has commended South African universities for collaborating with foreign universities in an effort to revive and preserve indigenous African languages.

The Universities of Rhodes, North West, KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape have collaborated with foreign universities on indigenous African languages, through Project Baqonde (meaning “let them understand” in Nguni languages).

Project Baqonde is funded by the European Union, and aims to facilitate and promote the use of indigenous African languages as mediums of instruction at higher education institutions in South Africa.

“As South Africa, we welcome this important initiative by the four South African universities and also appreciate the Salamanca University in Spain, Trinity College Dublin in Ireland, and the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, who are the three partner European institutions taking part in the initiative,” Nzimande said.

He reiterated his long-held view on the importance of the development of African languages in the education system.

“Over the years, we have witnessed the gradual dearth of our languages, apart from English and Afrikaans, in the absence of their development as languages of teaching and learning, commerce and academia more generally.

“The debate is no longer whether we should develop African languages as languages of scholarship in academia, but rather when and how these languages should be part of our academic discourse beyond the mere symbolism that is currently at play at most of our universities,” Nzimande said.

Language Policy Framework

The Minister acknowledged a number of other initiatives in this regard from other universities in the country.

He called upon all South African universities to intensify work on this front, as part of implementing the South Africa’s Language Policy Framework for Public Higher Education Institutions, which he signed in August 2020.

“Project Baqonde will undoubtedly contribute to the higher education policy framework, and also build on the results of a similar initiative I had initiated in October 2010, in my former capacity as Minister of Higher Education and Training, to strengthen and develop African languages as languages of science and academia,” Nzimande said.

The South African Language Policy Framework for Public Higher Education Institution aims to provide a framework for the development and strengthening of all South African 11 official languages, with a particular focus on the development of African languages as languages of scholarship, teaching, learning and communication at universities, amongst others.

“The policy provides guidelines for the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of institutional language policies and contributes to transformation in higher education, with specific reference to universities, through enhancing the status and roles of previously marginalised South African languages to foster institutional inclusivity, as well as social cohesion.

“The development of African languages is an indispensable component of transformation and of higher education in our country. The development of African languages is tied to social justice, which is an indispensable element of nation building and the promotion of social cohesion,” the Minister said.

The development of all official languages is a necessity for human rights and dignity, access and success at post-school institutions, preservation of heritage, communication and culture, Nzimande said. – SAnews

NEW YORK – The UK Department for International Trade (DIT), alongside the City of London Corporation, the Investment Association, and the Green Finance Institute, announced today that after a highly competitive recruitment process, 11 UK-headquartered FinTech companies specializing in ESG and sustainability were chosen to join a virtual trade delegation to New York Climate Week starting September 20th.

This group of fintechs, which includes 2RSquared, All Street Research, Amplyfi, Arabesque Group, Carbon Trade Exchange, corfinancial, Net Purpose, OakNorth, Solidatus, Tumelo, and Urgentem, have developed groundbreaking new products and services that are already helping companies, investors, consumers, and regulators around the world overcome key challenges in ESG adoption. DIT looks forward to showcasing these solutions, and more, during the mission.

This trade mission comes at a critical moment as US financial services firms scramble to upgrade their capabilities, tools, and products to meet the growing demand for environmental, social, and governance conscious investment strategies. One in 3 dollars invested in the US, or $17 trillion in AUM, already falls within an ESG or sustainability mandate and that number will only continue to rise. Outside of investment, the financial industry is also expected to play a key role in helping the world achieve net-zero, enabling climate action, and ensuring universal access to services, all of which can be aided by new technology.

Kunal Khatri, Her Majesty’s Acting Trade Commissioner for the US said:

The UK has been at the heart of global financial services innovation for decades, and as we lead up to the COP26 Summit in Glasgow, UK companies are poised to play an even greater part in driving ESG and sustainability across the financial industry. Fintech in particular will have a crucial role to play in achieving net-zero by spurring green innovation and expertise into sustainable investments, by providing companies with better tools to measure and mitigate their climate impact, and by giving consumers the information they need to make more informed decisions. The UK has world leading talent, technology and businesses with an enormous amount to offer to the US market we are excited to bring this delegation of cutting-edge technology firms to New York Climate Week.

To deliver this program, DIT has partnered with the City of London, the Investment Association, and the Green Finance Institute.

In discussing the Mission, the Lord Mayor of the City of London, William Russell said:

The City of London Corporation is delighted to partner with DIT on this mission. The UK is a fintech powerhouse with UK fintechs raising a record-shattering $24.5bn of investment in the first 6 months of this year alone. The City of London Corporation has long played an active role in helping to scale up the UK’s fintech sector by bringing together our existing strengths in financial services with burgeoning tech expertise across the country. As the world faces up climate change it has never been more important to discuss the role that tech can play in sustainable development for financial institutions.

US firms interested in learning more about the mission, the participating fintechs, and how to get involved are encouraged to contact hayden.boilini@mobile.trade.gov.uk.

For media enquiries, contact: Natalie Mclaughlin British Embassy Washington Natalie.Mclaughlin@fcdo.gov.uk

About the UK’s Department for International Trade (DIT)

DIT helps businesses export, drives inward and outward investment, negotiates market access and trade deals, and champions free trade. We are an international economic department, responsible for:

• supporting and encouraging UK businesses to drive sustainable international growth
• ensuring the UK remains a leading destination for international investment and maintains its number one position for international investment stock in Europe
• opening markets, building a trade framework with new and existing partners which is free and fair
• using trade and investment to underpin the government’s agenda for a Global Britain and its ambitions for prosperity, stability and security worldwide

Hundreds of older people are set to be provided with new homes thanks to a £40m funding injection from Homes England, the Government’s housing agency.

The loan from the £4.5bn Home Building Fund will accelerate the construction of 255 mid-market retirement homes in Audley Group’s Mayfield Villages portfolio, in a segment of the market that is currently under-supplied and builds on Audley’s recently announced joint venture with BlackRock Real Assets.

Mayfield Villages is Audley Group’s mid-market proposition and the properties in its first village will include extensive health, wellbeing, care and leisure facilities. Property owners and members of the local area will also benefit from access to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated Mayfield Care.

Peter Denton, Chief Executive at Homes England, said: “First and foremost, this will enable hundreds of later life customers to enjoy high-quality, independent living accommodation for years to come. The area will benefit from enhanced care provision and family homes will be freed up for the next generation.

“Our loan directly addresses market funding challenges due to the pandemic and highlights our commitment to ensuring diverse communities.”

Nick Sanderson, CEO, Audley Group said: “The transaction with Homes England is an important milestone for the retirement living sector. A coming of age. Government backing underlines the importance placed on increasing provision in the retirement living sector and developing more innovative housing solutions.

“Our aspiration to transform retirement is shared with both Homes England and BlackRock Real Assets and this will be the focus as we look to the future.”

The shortage of family homes is often attributed partly to a lack of quality retirement homes for older people. The new homes in Watford will provide independent homes with care provision included and will free up family-sized homes for new generations to enjoy.

The development is a cornerstone to the wider Riverwell regeneration scheme in what is a priority location for the agency, allowing it to help deliver more ambitious plans. The project also incorporates elements of Modern Methods of Construction, covering build and project management activities.

The Department of Tourism and South African Tourism will host Afrca’s first ever Travel and Tourism Summit.

The hybrid summit, which coincides with Tourism Month in South Africa, is set to take place from 19 to 21 September 2021.

The summit aims to be a catalyst for engagement on the current state of tourism on the African continent.

Speaking ahead of the summit, Acting SA Tourism CEO, Sthembiso Dlamini said taking into account challenges facing the global tourism industry, Africa’s Travel and Tourism Summit will, through various engagement sessions, gather the tourism sector to share insights and ideas to explore collaborative efforts that can lead to recovery.

With an array of issues currently facing the sector, Dlamini said the summit aims to attract African community delegates, African Tourism Ministers, industry associations, tourism boards, destination marketing organisations, as well as various partners across the tourism value chain.

He said that some of the major topics to be discussed at the summit include aviation, innovation, technology, the health and safety protocols currently in place, as well as the continent’s positioning post the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The African continent is resilient and this summit is important, as it will contribute towards picking up the momentum within the sector, as it works towards an inclusive recovery.

“The COVID-19 pandemic may have dealt both business and leisure tourism a heavy blow, but we are now in the recovery phase, and a summit of this nature is critical in ensuring that we are aligned as a continent, whilst reigniting the tourism industry,” Dlamini said.

Dlamini noted that the delegates participating at the summit will have the option of attending virtually or at an identified venues across South Africa, or at three additional locations on the rest of the African continent, pending COVID-19 lockdown regulations.

“All venues will have COVID-19 health and safety protocols in place. We have opted for the hybrid format in order for us, as a continent, to lead the way in demonstrating how tourism can be enjoyed safely whilst adhering to health protocols. It is important that we are diligent in reigniting the sector, as it contributes significantly to the African economy,” Dlamini said.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Tourism as well as South African Tourism were not able to host the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE)-focused Meetings Africa, and leisure-focused Africa’s Travel Indaba 2021 editions, which usually take place in February and May annually.

Africa Tourism Partners CEO, Kwakye Donkor said while Africa’s Travel and Tourism Summit should not be seen as a replacement, it provides a platform to showcase the African continent’s leisure tourism offerings and business event capabilities.

“In the absence of Africa’s Travel Indaba in 2020 and 2021, Africa’s Travel and Tourism Summit is an innovative initiative for promoting intra-Africa tourism and also for sharing insights into the “state of readiness” for South Africa and the rest [of] Africa to welcome the world during, and post COVID-19 pandemic.

“I commend South African Tourism and the South African National Convention Bureau, for once again, showing commitment and leadership in tourism promotion across the continent. It will be so great to meet traditional and emerging trade partners again during the summit. We look forward to a very fruitful Summit,” Donkor said.

Committed to ongoing transformation and development of the South African tourism industry, Africa’s Travel and Tourism Summit will on 19 September feature a dedicated day to empower Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) in the sector, as a precursor to the two-day conference on 20 and 21 September 2021.

Registration for the summit will open on the afternoon of 20 August 2021. – SAnews

• First dose of COVID-19 vaccine will be offered to everyone arriving from Afghanistan
• Rapid access to support for mental wellbeing

Additional healthcare provision, access to COVID-19 vaccinations and funding for housing will be provided to support Afghans coming to the UK via the Afghanistan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme.

Councils in England, Scotland and Wales will have access to a share of £5 million to help them provide the necessary housing and support to Afghans who have worked for this country in Afghanistan, but who now face threats of persecution or worse.

The Afghan LES (Locally Employed Staff) Housing Costs Fund will provide a top up to help councils meet the costs of renting properties for those that need it, including larger homes for families. This will help give councils the security to make a firm offer of support to take people into their communities and help them build a new life.

So far the UK has secured the evacuation of 1,615 people since Saturday, including 399 British Nationals and their dependants, 320 embassy staff, and 402 Afghan nationals under ARAP. The UK is doubling the amount of humanitarian aid to the region, up to £286 million with immediate effect, and our new bespoke resettlement scheme will be one of the most generous in British history, set to relocate up to 20,000 vulnerable Afghans.

As President of the G7 the UK is working to unite the international community behind a clear plan for dealing with this regime and we are asking our international partners to match our commitments and work with us to offer a lifeline to Afghanistan’s most vulnerable people.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:

Our immediate focus is to evacuate the Afghans who risked their lives supporting us over the past twenty years and to whom we owe so much.

We are proud to bring them to the UK, and this additional support will help make sure that those arriving from Afghanistan receive the housing and healthcare that they need as they start to build a new life here.

We will do everything we can in the days, weeks and months ahead to protect the most vulnerable, which is why we’re doubling our humanitarian aid to the region and setting up a new bespoke resettlement scheme to give up to 20,000 of those most in need of refuge here in the UK.

Additional healthcare provision has also been put in place. All those who have fled Afghanistan are also being offered the COVID-19 vaccine on arrival, if they haven’t received one already, and will be issued with a vaccine card.

New vaccination points will also be set up at each managed quarantine hotel and those arriving will be invited to get their jab after they have received a negative Day 2 PCR test. Enhanced healthcare support to Afghan refugees will also include:

• Doubling our medical provision to ensure everyone can access medical support 24/7;
• Providing rapid access to support for mental well-being in the wake of experiencing trauma;
• Reuniting family members who arrive on different flights where possible;
• Allowing people to stay in large family groups in quarantine for comfort and support;
• Providing regular information check-ins with local services to prepare refugees for resettlement with additional translators to support engagement with the services being provided;
• Providing toys to keep children entertained; and
• Giving appropriate clothes for people who may have left Afghanistan with very little.

This is on top of the robust health and wellbeing support already in place at managed quarantine hotels. As part of existing support, those entering quarantine hotels from Afghanistan will also have access to:

• Medical support to ensure all evacuees undergo a health check;
• 24/7 on-site medical team;
• Care links to local care providers where needed;
• Access to both female and male health professionals; and
• Daily health and wellbeing checks, either through doctors safely visiting hotel rooms or through a guest telephone calling system, with all call handlers speaking both Pushto and Dari.

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said:

In response to this unfolding tragedy, we are committed to ensuring those who are being resettled here in the UK under our Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy have our full support.

As Health Secretary, my focus is on the health and wellbeing of families from the moment they touch down in the UK. I was very pleased today to be able to meet one such family who arrived recently and learn from their experience of the healthcare we have provided so far.

We are boosting our health and wellbeing services to evacuees during their 10 day quarantine. This includes giving everyone a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, if they have not already received one, doubling our medical provision to ensure everyone can access support round the clock and reuniting families who arrive on different flights where we can.

Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick said:

There is already an enormous effort underway to support those arriving from Afghanistan with close to a third of councils already stepping up to support new arrivals.

However, we urgently need more offers of support to welcome Afghan families who have stood shoulder to shoulder with the UK, serving our troops and our country so bravely in recent years.

With this extra support in place, I’m calling on all councils who have not yet come forward, to contact us with a firm offer of support to help our Afghan friends and their families as they build a new life in safety here.

The ARAP scheme launched on 01 April 2021. Under the scheme, any current or former Locally Employed Staff who worked in Afghanistan for the UK Embassy assessed to be at serious risk of threat to life are offered priority relocation to the UK regardless of their employment status, rank or role, or length of time served.

Thanks to the efforts of over a quarter of councils across the UK and vital delivery partners, hundreds of Afghan nationals who have worked alongside British forces and diplomats in Afghanistan have already been welcomed by councils across the country.

This work is happening at pace and, with many more Afghan families set to arrive, there is still more to do to ensure we are supporting new arrivals as best we can.

Earlier this week, the government set out its ambition for the new Afghanistan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme – a new plan to resettle 5,000 Afghan nationals in its first year, with priority given to those most in need due to the current crisis – including women and girls, and religious and other minorities, who are most at risk of human rights abuses and dehumanising treatment.

This resettlement scheme will be kept under further review for future years, with up to a total of 20,000 people potentially eligible in the long-term. The ambition to provide protection to thousands of people fleeing Afghanistan and the complex picture on the ground means there will be significant challenges in delivering the scheme, but the government is committed to doing all it can for those who need our support and is working at great speed to address these obstacles.

Health Minister, Dr Joe Phaahla, has since thanked all South Africans for cooperating with government in the containment of the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, he has warned that there is still a very long road ahead as the number of new infections continues to spike.

“The reality is that this battle is not yet over. The third wave remains stubbornly in our midst.”

He said the number of new cases in the Western Cape has been increasing, with the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Northern Cape lagging behind.

“The worrying trend is that overall in the last seven days, there has been an 18.2% increase in new infections over that seven-day period compared to the previous seven days.

“So, while the curve has started to show a downward trend, it is now picking up again, driven largely by the Western Cape, KZN, and the Eastern Cape. But also the Northern Cape as I’ve said which has never really gone down from the second wave and just went straight into the third wave.”

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said 13 672 new COVID-19 cases were detected on Thursday, which brings the total number of laboratory-confirmed infections to 2 652 652.

However, he announced that hospital admissions have gone down by 5.4% over the last seven days.

“It is very encouraging because it means less pressure on our hospital facilities and our medical staff. It is for this reason that further South Africans the National Coronavirus Council and Cabinet this week have decided to keep the country at alert level three, but we remain hopeful that if we all observe the known protocols, we can start to see a decisive flattening of the curve in the next two weeks.”

Phaahla said this was not only in the hands of government but citizens too.

Vaccine rollout programme

He also welcomed some significant milestones in the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines.

By Thursday, the country administered 10 167 000 vaccine doses, including the second dose of a Pfizer vaccine.

Meanwhile, he said over three million people over the age of 60 years were either fully vaccinated, or had received one dose of the Pfizer jab, out of an estimated total population of 5.5 million.

“Now this gives us coverage of the over 60s of 55%. But our wish is to reach 70% of the over 60s. Therefore, we still have some way to go.”

In addition, they are now 4.62 million fully vaccinated people, who either received the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) or two-dose Pfizer jab.

“These are people who have fully vaccinated, which is 12% of the adult population, but remembering that when we talk about other population, we mean 18 years and above,” he said, adding that those aged between 18 and 34 are still yet to come into a vaccination category.

Cabinet approved for the vaccination of people aged between 18 and 34 years from today.

Phaahla said there is still a long way to go to reach 70% of the adult population, as those who received at least one jab of lifesaving vaccine is around 20%.

“Again, I want to emphasise this, that we’ve reached the 20% without admitting those aged between 18 and 34-year-olds. But at least we’re somewhere on the journey.” – SAnews

A summary of the CMA’s report, which was sent to the Secretary of State (SoS) for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on 20 July ahead of the set deadline, has now been published. The CMA has determined that an in-depth investigation into the deal between NVIDIA and Arm is warranted on competition grounds.

Should the deal go ahead, the CMA is concerned that the merged business would have the ability and incentive to harm the competitiveness of NVIDIA’s rivals by restricting access to Arm’s intellectual property (IP). Arm’s IP is used by companies that produce semiconductor chips and related products, in competition with NVIDIA.

Ultimately, the CMA is concerned this loss of competition could stifle innovation across a number of markets, including data centres, gaming, the ‘internet of things’, and self-driving cars. This could result in more expensive or lower quality products for businesses and consumers.

NVIDIA offered a behavioural remedy – a measure which regulates the ongoing behaviour of a business – but the CMA found that this type of remedy would not alleviate its concerns. Therefore, the CMA found that the merger should be progressed to an in-depth Phase 2 investigation on competition grounds.

Andrea Coscelli, chief executive of the CMA, said: “We’re concerned that NVIDIA controlling Arm could create real problems for NVIDIA’s rivals by limiting their access to key technologies, and ultimately stifling innovation across a number of important and growing markets. This could end up with consumers missing out on new products, or prices going up.

“The chip technology industry is worth billions and is vital to products that businesses and consumers rely on every day. This includes the critical data processing and datacentre technology that supports digital businesses across the economy, and the future development of artificial intelligence technologies that will be important to growth industries like robotics and self-driving cars.”

On 19 April 2021, the SoS issued a public interest intervention notice in relation to the merger, on the ground of national security. In line with its legal duties, the CMA has provided the DCMS SoS with a report on its competition findings, along with a summary of representations received from third parties which relate to the national security public interest consideration. The SoS will decide whether the merger should be referred for an in-depth Phase 2 investigation on both competition and national security grounds, or if it should be passed back to the CMA to investigate on competition grounds only. The timing of this decision will be decided by the SoS.

In conducting its investigation, the CMA has worked closely with other competition authorities around the world to carefully consider the impact of the deal.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab met NATO Allies virtually today (Friday 20 August), to call for a unified approach to counter the threat of terrorism in Afghanistan, and ensure unhindered humanitarian aid access, following the takeover of the Taliban.

NATO Allies also emphasised the need for an inclusive and representative government in Afghanistan, and for the international community to remain united in ensuring the Taliban uphold human rights for citizens across the country.

In order to safeguard regional stability, Allies pledged to continue working closely with regional partners.

NATO Allies are already coordinating operations to evacuate citizens, nationals from partner countries, and the most vulnerable Afghans, particularly those who have assisted NATO efforts.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said:

The UK’s immediate priorities are working alongside our NATO Allies to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a safe-haven for terrorists, ensuring that life-saving humanitarian aid can reach those who need it most, and working with international partners to safeguard stability in the region.

This week, the UK pledged to resettle 20,000 Afghan refugees over the next five years. This is in addition to the UK’s ARAP scheme, which offers any current or former locally employed staff – who are assessed to be under serious threat to life – priority relocation to the UK. The UK also doubled its humanitarian and development aid to Afghanistan, to provide urgent assistance to those suffering from the conflict, drought and COVID-19. This brings the total UK aid to Afghanistan for this year to £286 million.

On Thursday (19 August), the Foreign Secretary also met G7 counterparts where they agreed to engage with partners to pursue an inclusive political settlement, ensure the delivery of crucial humanitarian support to Afghanistan and the region, and prevent any further loss of life due to terrorism.