James Denselow

The evolving and ever-changing story of the evacuation of thousands of Afghans from Kabul airport is both historic and iconic. It has already been compared with the Berlin airlift and of course a redux of the US departure from Saigon. The human drama and incredible levels of human jeopardy have seen the story dominate the newspaper headlines and television news. Babies passed over razor wire, NATO troops staring down the Taliban, the surge of thousands of people desperately trying to flee and the tragedy of those who’ve died trying so far. Afghanistan

Yet Afghanistan is a country of almost 40 million people and the goldfish bowl focus on the drama of Kabul airport is rendering the vast majority of Afghans invisible at its expense. Their invisibility hides the existing humanitarian crisis and the potential for a bad situation to get much worse quite quickly with more seismic consequences both for Afghans and their neighbouring countries.

Let us not forget that the number of people internally displaced by conflict in Afghanistan has risen by 53% since the start of August, jumping from 360,000 to 550,000 in just two weeks. Amongst rising fears of a significant exodus of refugees a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Friday that "the vast majority of Afghans are not able to leave the country through regular channels."

UN agencies have warned of food shortages to Afghanistan as early as September without urgent aid funding. Before the Taliban takeover some 30% of Afghanistan GDP was comprised of humanitarian aid. A substantial presence of international aid agencies and donors has been thrown into total flux by the events of the past weeks. The banking system has been frozen and access to wages and funds for programming has combined with huge insecurity and of course thousands of humanitarian staff wanting to leave the country.

Donors such as Germany have frozen their funding and there was even talk of the UN having to halt operations and withdraw from the country. Much of this uncertainty isn’t going anywhere especially as huge questions remain as to what appetite the Taliban has for allowing humanitarian aid agencies to operate and whether the counterterrorism policies from the donor community will mean that can do so.

A significant increase in the need for aid matched by a dramatic restriction of aid access into the country is the recipe for disaster in a country that is already the sixth poorest in the world. The desperation of those trying to get flights from Kabul airport is clear to see but there appears little in the way of coverage of those living in other parts of the country highlighting the ordeal they are currently facing.

Those who live in parts of the country who’ve been affected by the vicious and intense bouts of fighting earlier in the year are perhaps the most vulnerable. Kabul of course escaped the kind of urban destruction seen in Mosul and Raqqa but other parts of Afghanistan weren’t so fortunate and the destroyed homes and schools would appear to have little prospect of being rebuilt anytime soon.

Whilst the debate in the Western political landscape focuses both on the merits of the Afghan withdraw and the competence of its operational reality, for the forgotten Afghan civilians outside of Kabul and the environs of the airport the crossroads that their country is at is one that they face in the context of remarkable isolation.

It doesn’t have to be this way, broadcasters and major news channels must try much harder to amplify the voices and stories of Afghans in other parts of the country. There is already a legacy issue of insufficient reporting from Afghanistan which partly explains the surprise felt by many as to the rise and rise of the Taliban, a story that would have been familiar to most observers who were actually paying attention. The chaos of Kabul airport will not conceivably last for much longer, what happens next when Afghanistan ceases to dominate the news is far more important for the longer-term future of the country and we can only hope that Afghans are invisible no more. levant

by: James Denselow levant

James Denselow,

Taliban and the “ISIS in Khorasan” any Confrontation in Afghanistan? US currently on pace to finish Afghan evacuation by August 31

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.