Latest
Story
25 October 2023
As Afghans dig out from deadly quakes, a difficult winter looms
Learn more
Press Release
29 August 2023
UNFAO receives funding from Japan to support community-based irrigation for enhanced agricultural production in Afghanistan
Learn more
Press Release
03 July 2023
UN launches new Strategic Framework for supporting Afghan people
Learn more
Latest
The Sustainable Development Goals in Afghanistan
The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth’s environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. These are the goals the UN is working on in Afghanistan:
Publication
02 July 2023
United Nations Strategic Framework for Afghanistan
The past several years have been extremely challenging for the people of Afghanistan. Already suffering from decades of conflict and instability, Afghanistan’s human rights, governance, humanitarian, and development situations deteriorated sharply after the Taliban takeover in August 2021. This transition impacted not only the political and security situations but also had particularly severe implications for human rights, gender equality, and women’s empowerment. The country’s economy contracted by about 30 per cent between 2020 and 2022. With 24.4 million people in need of humanitarian assistance and more than 9 in 10 living in poverty, the country is in the midst of a crisis on an unprecedented scale.
The United Nations and its partners recognize that humanitarian aid alone will not be enough to sustainably address the large-scale and increasing human suffering of the Afghan people in the medium and long term. As such, humanitarian efforts should be complemented and reinforced with interventions addressing basic human needs that aim to reduce the humanitarian caseload over time and support Afghans, particularly women, girls, and other vulnerable groups, to a) build resilience to shocks, b) sustain livelihoods, c) protect human rights and fundamental freedoms, d) strengthen social cohesion and build social capital, and e) preserve hard-won development gains achieved over the past two decades, including with regard to service delivery. This approach is also important for the identification and achievement of durable solutions to displacement caused by conflict, climate change, and sudden onset natural disasters.
In close consultations with our Member States, partners, and stakeholders, the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) has identified three complementary and mutually reinforcing joint priorities as it supports the basic human needs of the Afghan people.
Priority 1: Sustained Essential Services
Priority 2: Economic Opportunities and Resilient Livelihoods
Priority 3: Social Cohesion, Inclusion, Gender Equality, Human Rights, and Rule of Law
With the Humanitarian Country Team, the UNCT has also agreed on two collective outcomes: to 1) reduce food insecurity and 2) reduce maternal and child mortality rates. Partners across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus have agreed to work together toward these outcomes.
The United Nations Strategic Framework for Afghanistan articulates the UN’s approach to addressing basic human needs in Afghanistan. Anchored in the principle of leaving no one behind, the UN Strategic Framework prioritizes the needs and rights of those most vulnerable and marginalized, including women and girls, children and youth, internally displaced persons, returnees, refugees, ethnic and religious minorities, geographically isolated communities, sexual and gender minorities, the Kuchi community, persons with disabilities, human rights defenders, people who use drugs, and people living with and affected by HIV.
This Strategic Framework is an offer of assistance to the people of Afghanistan. Whether the UN can implement this framework depends in part on external factors, most notably on actions by the de facto authorities and on donor support. The UN expects to be deeply engaged in maintaining and expanding the access and operational space necessary for implementation.
1 of 5
Publication
19 November 2023
BORDER CONSORTIUM, 5- 11 NOVEMBER 2023
Since 15 September, there has been a notable surge in the number of returnees to Afghanistan, taking place primarily through the Torkham and Spin Boldak border crossings. The announcement on 3 October by Pakistan’s national Apex Committee of the plan1 to repatriate over a million foreigners without valid documents, mostly Afghans triggered a consistent and steep increase in the number of undocumented and ACC-Card holders Afghan crossing the numbers. This culminated at the beginning of November in line with the ultimatum of 1 November given to illegal foreigners residing in Pakistan by Pakistan’s Minister of Interior.
There have been over 327,000 returnees recorded during this period, with numbers increasing from less than 200 per day in early October to more than 17,000 by early November. This influx, consisting largely of spontaneous returns, also includes a growing number of deportations
There have been over 327,000 returnees recorded during this period, with numbers increasing from less than 200 per day in early October to more than 17,000 by early November. This influx, consisting largely of spontaneous returns, also includes a growing number of deportations
1 of 5
Publication
24 October 2022
BRIEF NO. 1: MEDIA RESTRICTIONS AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR GENDER EQUALITY IN AFGHANISTAN
SUMMARY
After nearly 20 years of international investment and successful efforts to build a diverse media landscape and strengthen journalism standards, the Afghan media sector has fundamentally changed for the worse since the Taliban (also referred herein to as the de facto authorities) takeover on 15 August 2021.
Before mid-August 2021, dedicated initiatives and investment focused on increasing the number of women working in the media across a diversity of roles, training and equipping them with valuable skills and expertise, as well as a substantive focus on women’s rights and gender equality in the media content, including on how gender inequality is a driver of conflict.
The Taliban has sought to bring the Afghan media under its control, prohibiting broadcasts and publications that criticize Taliban rule and/or are incompatible with the group’s interpretation of Islamic and Afghan values.
There is no universal experience across the changed media environment, as the level of subnational variation is notable. The position of individual de facto leaders on media freedom varies according to their personal viewpoints and relationship to the media in the past, and their perception of the value of media to extend the credibility and authority of the Taliban in the eyes of the target audience.
Despite subnational variations, nationwide trends are becoming increasingly discernible, clear and solidified. Although in some cases the level of discretion may be higher, rules and practices are consistent and congruent – continuous harassment, attacks, and detention of journalists, the requirement for women journalists to cover their face when on air, and various tactics which combined lead to self-censorship and exclusion of women from the media. This indicates a systematic and coherent effort to muzzle the media and exclude women – their faces, perspectives, and experiences – from public spaces.
Afghans across the country have grown to rely on television, radio, and other forms of media for information on a wide range of concerns. For some Afghans, including those now outside the country, social media – especially Facebook – has become an alternative media platform. However, without reliable, diverse, and independent media, all Afghans are denied access to information and plurality of opinions and ideas.
1 of 5
Story
19 April 2021
“CLIMATE ACTION FOR PEOPLE AND PLANET: THE TIME IS NOW”
By António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations
The science is irrefutable and globally agreed: to stop the climate crisis from becoming a permanent catastrophe, we must limit global heating to 1.5 degrees Celsius. To do this, we must get to net zero emissions of greenhouse gases by mid-century. Countries making up about two-thirds of the global economy have committed to do so. This is encouraging, but we urgently need every country, city, business, and financial institution to join this coalition and adopt concrete plans for transitioning to net zero.
Even more urgent is for governments to match this long-term ambition with concrete actions now, as trillions of dollars are mobilized to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. Revitalizing economies is our chance to re-engineer our future.
The world has a strong framework for action: the Paris Agreement, in which all countries committed to set their own national climate action plans and strengthen them every five years. Over five years later, and with damning proof that if we don’t act we will destroy our planet, it is time for decisive and effective action as the United Nations convenes all countries in Glasgow in November for COP26.
The new national plans must cut global greenhouse gas pollution by at least 45 percent by 2030 compared to 2010 levels. Many have been presented already and set out clearer policies to adapt to the impacts of climate change and boost access to renewable energy. But so far, those plans achieve less than a 1 percent cut in emissions. This is a true red alert for people and the planet.
In the months ahead, beginning with the upcoming Leaders Summit hosted by the United States, governments must dramatically step up their ambitions – particularly the biggest-emitting countries that have caused the vast bulk of the crisis. Phasing out coal from the electricity sector is the single most important step to get in line with the 1.5-degree goal. Immediate action to remove the dirtiest, most polluting fossil fuel from power sectors offers our world a fighting chance.
Global coal use in electricity generation must fall by 80 percent below 2010 levels by 2030. This means that developed economies must commit to phase out coal by 2030; other countries must do this by 2040. There is simply no reason for any new coal plants to be built anywhere. One third of the global coal fleet is already more costly to operate than building new renewables and storage. COP26 must signal an end to coal.
As the world moves toward clean air and renewable energy, it is essential that we ensure a just transition. Workers in impacted industries and the informal sector must be supported as they move jobs or reskill. We must also unleash the vast power of women and girls to drive transformation, including as equal participants in governance and decision-making.
The countries that contributed least to climate change are suffering many of the worst impacts. Many small island nations will simply cease to exist if we don’t step up the response. The developed countries must deliver on their commitments to provide and mobilize $100 billion annually by:
doubling current levels of climate finance;
devoting half of all climate finance to adaptation;
stopping the international funding of coal; and
shifting subsidies from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
The G7 Summit in June offers the opportunity for the world’s wealthiest countries to step up and provide the necessary financial commitments that will ensure the success of COP26.
While governments must lead, decision-makers everywhere have a vital role to play. I ask all multilateral and national development banks, by COP26, to have clear policies in place to fund the COVID recovery and the transition to resilient economies in developing countries, taking into account crippling debt levels and huge pressures on national budgets. Many local governments and private businesses have committed to net zero emissions by 2050, and have engaged in significant reviews of their business models. I urge all to set ambitious targets and policies.
I encourage young people everywhere to continue to raise their voices for action to address climate change, protect biodiversity, stop humanity’s war on nature and accelerate efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
Time is running out, and there is much hard work ahead, but this no time to raise the white flag. The United Nations will keep flying our blue flag of solidarity and hope. This Earth Day and over the crucial months ahead, I urge all nations and all people to rise together to this moment.
1 of 5
Publication
09 January 2022
Afghanistan: Humanitarian Needs Overview (2022)
Context, Shocks/Events, and Impact of the Crisis
Following 40 years of war and an already dire situation of increasing hunger, economic decline, price rises in food and other essential needs, and rising poverty over the past several years, over 2021 the people of Afghanistan faced intensified conflict, the withdrawal of international forces and then the takeover of the country by the Taliban in August.
The resulting political, social and economic shocks have reverberated across the country with a massive deterioration of the humanitarian and protection situation in the 4th quarter of 2021 and the outlook for 2022 remaining profoundly uncertain.
Afghanistan’s population is estimated to be 41.7m in 2021, of whom 51 per cent are men and 49 per cent are women. A staggering 47 per cent of the population are under 15 years old, giving Afghanistan one of the highest youth populations in the world. With a projected population growth rate of 2.3 per cent per annum, one of the steepest in the region, the country’s financially-dependent youth population is set to grow even further.
Population growth, internal displacement, higher-than- usual rates of cross-border return are contributing to increased strain on limited resources, livelihood opportunities and basic services, as well as an increase in protection risks especially for most at risk groups. It is estimated that there are more than 2.6 million Afghan refugees worldwide and more than 5.5 million people displaced by conflict inside the country.
Scope of Analysis
This Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) looks at likely evolution of humanitarian needs in Afghanistan throughout 2022 with an inter-sectoral approach to the analysis that recognises the multi-dimensional nature of people’s needs across sectors. The situation beyond 2022 remains extremely uncertain with a wide- range of risks that could upset planning assumptions. These risks and potential implications to 2021 planning are outlined in the risks section of this analysis (pg 49). The political takeover by the Taliban and the possible range of geo-political responses, as well as transformed security dynamics have made much previous analysis used to anticipate needs (trends in the “fighting season”) of questionable utility. Thus, forward projections beyond 2022 would be unreliable and so have not been included in this analysis.
All 2022 calculations are based on the joint planning assumptions that are outlined in the risk sections in regard to the evolution of the political and security situation, with different seasonal influences on needs throughout the year including the onset of winter, rainfall patterns, agricultural planting and harvest seasons, and others (see pg. 51 for seasonal influences on needs). Greater emphasis has been placed on the drought impact and economic fallout from the crisis in the analysis, under the assumption that large-scale conflict is likely to be a relatively smaller factor in driving needs then in previous years. This analysis will be updated on a rolling basis as conditions change.
Population Groups
Because of the multi-dimensional threat facing Afghanistan of economic collapse, political instability, conflict and climate, needs are deep and widespread across the country, affecting all provinces. While the broader categories of the populations of concern for 2022 will remain similar to 2021, new sub-groups of Afghanistan’s rural and urban communities whose vulnerabilities have been aggravated by the conflict, drought and economic shocks and years of lack of recovery, have been included.
Internally Displaced People (only includes newly displaced due to all causes in 2022)
Shock-Affected Non-Displaced People (people newly affected by floods and other natural disasters in 2022)
Vulnerable People with Humanitarian Needs (including protracted IDPs and those displaced before 2022, vulnerable protracted cross border returnees, IDP returnees, people affected by economic shock and income loss)
Cross-Border Returnees (newly returned in 2022)
Refuges and Asylum Seekers
This HNO applies protection, gender, age, disability, mental health and AAP lenses to its analysis with disaggregated data used throughout, where available.
Humanitarian Conditions, Severity and People in Need
The deteriorating context and an increase in population estimates (now 41.7 million people) have combined to leave a projected 24.4 million people in humanitarian need in 2022, up from 18.4 million people at the start of 202. These humanitarian needs estimates were calculated using the Joint Inter-sectoral Analysis Framework or JIAF approach, which looks holistically at the needs facing people in Afghanistan and measures the severity of these needs using a series of inter-sectoral indicators. The JIAF inter-sectoral analysis of needs revealed that there are needs in every province of the country. With extreme need in 29 out of 34 provinces and the rest in severe need, with almost all population groups of concern present in every province (except refugees who are centred in Khost and Paktika).
The analysis shows that the intensification of the conflict through August 2021, a consecutive year of drought, other natural disasters, Covid-19 and the broad-based economic crisis following the collapse of the Government has tipped many people from extreme poverty into outright catastrophe. With coping mechanisms and safety nets largely exhausted – as previous HNOs have warned --the collapse of basic services and development programming since August has pushed a large number of people reliant on development assistance into crisis. An updated Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis shows that in the first quarter of 2022, a staggering 23 million people, or 55 per cent of the population, are expected to be in crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity (IPC 3 and 4). 8.7 million people projected to be in IPC 4 – the highest number in the world. The fundamental drivers of food insecurity in Afghanistan include widespread poverty and economic fragility, extreme weather and climatic shocks, land degradation, and decades of conflict that have limited the spread of essential public services and safety nets.
According to the Global Citizen report on the Worst Countries for Gender Equality, Afghanistan is the worst place to be a woman. Afghan women and girls face unique vulnerabilities and risks as gender inequality is interwoven with the conflict dynamics and humanitarian needs. There are grave concerns about the roll-back on women’s rights and restrictions on their participation in life and society, with impositions introduced on education, right to work and freedom of movement of girls and women.
Even with 55% of the country already in humanitarian need, the possibility of a further deterioration is very real. The majority of the remainder of the country requires the continuation and restoration of services addressing basic human needs to prevent them from slipping into humanitarian crisis.
1 of 5
Story
25 October 2023
As Afghans dig out from deadly quakes, a difficult winter looms
A woman sobs into her dark shawl, her body nestled amid the rubble of Afghanistan’s earthquake-hit village of Naib-Rafi. Nearby, a man digs through the rocky debris, hoping to salvage precious grain.
“As you see, everything we own is buried,” says grandmother Ziba, whose daughter was killed in the quakes that hit Afghanistan this past week. “We can’t dig it out. We can’t even stand on our own two feet.”
The powerful earthquakes that struck Afghanistan’s western Herat province, killing and wounding at least 1,400 people and flattening whole villages, have added to a mountain of hardship facing residents of this impoverished country - as a potentially deadly winter looms.
“These are communities that are already barely able to feed themselves, and every one of these crises pounds them back into utter destitution,” says World Food Programme (WFP) Afghanistan spokesman Philippe Kropf, who went to affected villages after the first earthquakes struck.
“This comes on the back of nearly 40 years of near uninterrupted conflict,” Kropf adds, “of high levels of food insecurity, of five years of drought or drought-like conditions — and an economic downturn two years ago that has destroyed livelihoods and jobs.”
WFP has already reached nearly 34,000 earthquake survivors like Ziba with emergency food assistance, which began distributing within hours after the first quakes struck.
“These earthquakes come at a time when 15 million people - one-third of Afghanistan’s population - do not know where their next meal will come from,” Kropf says. “And yet WFP was forced to cut 10 million people from food assistance this year, due to a massive funding shortfall.”
In the bare tent that she now calls home, grandmother Ziba recalls rushing home after the first earthquake hit. She was lucky enough to be outside.
“I saw my daughters beneath the collapsed walls of the home,” she says. One had a broken leg. The other was dead, leaving her children in their grandmother’s care.
“I was awake all night with the baby,” Ziba says of the youngest, who was crying for lack of milk.
"Lost everything"
The earthquakes mostly killed women and children, humanitarian agencies say. They also killed many livestock, delivering a further blow to communities scratching out a living on subsistence farming and herding.
Visiting earthquake-hit villages, WFP staff saw lines of freshly dug graves. A distraught young man showed them the rubble of his home. Seven family members died in the quake, he said.
A shepherd sat near a pile of rubble, two of his sheep buried in it. He had lost all his livestock, he said, but he had neither the time to mourn those losses nor get a tent to live in. He was too busy digging up dead family members, and bringing injured ones to hospital.
WFP’s emergency rations offer some solace. They include fortified biscuits, along with fortified wheat flour, vegetable oil, yellow split peas and salt.
If funding comes through, WFP aims to continue the food distributions for several months — enough to tide the most destitute families through Afghanistan’s punishing winter.
Fresh funds will also allow WFP to roll out longer-term resilience building programmes, expected to reach another 100,000 people over the next seven months. The initiatives, which can include building irrigation canals or offering training on creating kitchen gardens, give cash to participating communities and help quake-affected people get back on their feet.
Without more funding, however, some quake survivors may not last the winter. “It will be very, very difficult for them,” Kropf says. “They have lost everything.”
The most optimistic are living on hope.
“We will rebuild our home again,” grandmother Ziba says, “if no-one helps us, we will build it on our own.”
This article was first published by the World Food Programme. For more information about the UN's work in Afghanistan, visit afghanistan.un.org
1 of 5
Story
30 March 2023
Afghanistan: OHCHR alarm over arrests of activists speaking up for women and girls
The de facto Taliban authorities in Afghanistan must immediately release activists detained for advocating for girls’ and women’s rights, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Wednesday, expressing alarm over ongoing arrests.
Since the beginning of the year, several civil society activists and journalists have been detained for speaking out against Taliban policies that restrict women and girls’ access to education, work, and most other areas of public life.
“No one should be detained for speaking out in defence of their fundamental rights and the rights of others,” OHCHR Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said in a statement.
“Arrest or detention as punishment for the legitimate exercise of fundamental rights, such as the rights to freedom of opinion and expression, is arbitrary under international human rights law,” he added.
Top campaigner arrested
The statement comes in the wake of the latest arrest, which occurred on Monday, according to OHCHR.
Matiullah Wesa, head of PenPath, a civil society organization campaigning for the reopening of girls’ schools, was detained by unidentified individuals who were travelling in an unmarked vehicle. His whereabouts are unknown.
The same persons also entered Mr. Wesa’s home the following day and seized two of his brothers, who were released several hours later.
OHCHR said other activists and journalists have also been detained with no clear information as to their whereabouts, well-being or any charges against them.
Respect human rights
“Detainees’ human rights must be respected, in particular the right to be informed of the reason for their arrest at the time of their arrest, the right to be promptly informed of any charges against them, as well as the right of access to family members and to legal representation,” Mr. Laurence said.
He recalled that Afghanistan is a party to international human rights treaties. As such, Taliban leaders are obliged to respect and ensure the rights to freedom of expression, opinion and freedom of peaceful assembly, as well as to provide access to education and the right to work.
The Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in August 2021 and have effectively barred girls and women from studying and working.
Addressing the Security Council earlier this month, the UN Special Representative there, Roza Otunbayeva, said Afghanistan remains the “most repressive country in the world” for women’s rights.
Source: UN News. More information can be found here.
1 of 5
Story
30 March 2023
Ramadan: UN chief calls for solidarity as month of giving begins
Celebrated by millions of Muslims around the world, Ramadan is a time “to come together, bound by our common humanity”, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a video message just ahead of the holy month.
The UN chief drew a parallel between the spirit of “understanding and compassion” which characterizes Ramadan, and the mission of the United Nations, “to foster dialogue, unity and peace.”
“In these challenging times, my thoughts are with those facing conflict, displacement and suffering. I join everyone observing Ramadan to call for peace, mutual respect and solidarity.”
Islamic philanthropy
Ramadan is also known as a “month of giving”, and a high point in charitable giving motivated by faith, towards the displaced. Islamic philanthropy plays a growing role in supporting refugees worldwide, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Friday.
In a new report, UNHCR shows that its pioneering Refugee Zakat Fund has supported six million forcibly displaced people in 26 countries since its launch in 2017.
‘New kids on the block’
“We are new to this sector as a UN organization,” Khaled Khalifa, Senior Advisor to the High Commissioner for Refugees and UNHCR Representative to Gulf Cooperation Council Countries, told reporters in Geneva.
“We wanted to offer a new platform to enable giving in places where Muslim organizations do not operate at ease, because of financial restrictions, because we need the large machinery of the UN to implement, like in Afghanistan, in Somalia and for the Rohingya,” he said, before adding: “Islamic giving has always been there - we are the new kids on the block.”
Central role of charity
UNHCR’s Islamic Philanthropy Annual Report shows that some $38 million were raised through the fund in 2022. Mr. Khalifa highlighted how harnessing the central role of charitable giving in Islam has been key to the initiative’s success. He explained the principle of “Zakat”, or obligatory almsgiving, whereby Muslims need to contribute 2.5 per cent of their unused savings to charity every year, adding that it was one of the five pillars of Islam.
Assisting the most vulnerable
Mr. Khalifa also pointed out that, while resources from the fund are not exclusively dedicated to supporting refugees in Muslim countries, more than 50 per cent of the forcibly displaced under UNHCR’s global purview are in the Muslim world.
The agency lists the Rohingya crisis in Bangladesh, the internal displacement situation in Yemen and the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon as the main “recipient operations” of proceeds from the fund since 2017. The contributions were distributed through cash assistance and direct provision of goods.
‘Innovative finance’
While the fund represents a “small contribution” to the budget of the agency, its positive impact is increasingly apparent.
To continue leveraging the potential of Islamic philanthropy, last year UNHCR launched a new initiative in partnership with the Islamic Development Bank, called the Global Islamic Fund for Refugees.
Mr. Khalifa said that the agency was increasingly looking to “innovative finance” to generate new revenue streams for refugees worldwide.
UNHCR notes that its Refugee Zakat Fund has been “endorsed by several legal Islamic scholars and institutions” to receive and distribute donations to eligible refugees and internally displaced people.
Source: UN News
1 of 5
Story
07 March 2023
As Afghan women and girls are erased from society, the UN in Afghanistan stands with them
IOM
“Women are half of a country, and we were not born to stay at home, cook or give birth. Let us work, let us learn, let us live!”
“To all women, remember: the tree that survives the rumble will become the strongest tree in the ground.”
I am one of the women aid workers in Afghanistan and, like all the other women staff, this ban (editorial note: the ban on women working in non-governmental organizations) really had an impact on my life. It causes me a lot of psychological pressure. I didn’t even know how to deal with it. It’s a nightmare.
It is so unfair to be deprived of your rights because of your gender. Working is not only my dream or a human right, it is also the way I support my family.
Even before the ban, as a woman employee, I faced many challenges. The security situation in the country has always been bad. It's not just the challenges of movement or the problems with the hijab, overall, it was already a struggle.
Earlier last year there was a shooting in our province, we were in the field and while community members were fighting with each other - one of them started shouting next to us: ‘Where are the women staff? Tell me! I will kill them! Where are they?’ We were petrified.
Since the ban, we are stopped at checkpoints even more than before, and I fear these checkpoints because when they stop me, even though I have a United Nations Identity Card and a permission letter, they still disrespect us and threaten us.
But now, I'm done complaining. I am angry. Women are half of a country, and we were not born to stay at home, cook or give birth. Let us work, let us learn, let us live!
To all women, remember: the tree that survives the rumble will become the strongest tree in the ground!
IOM
“When I go outside, I'm afraid. I am afraid that they will stop me and beat me.”
The de facto Taliban authorities' decree banning women [from working in non-governmental organisations] has a psychological impact on me. I am afraid. I am afraid that if I am not allowed to work, how will I support my family?
Right now, I am the main breadwinner of my family. We are not in a good economic condition and my job is what gives us a stable livelihood.
Even though I could send my children to school to continue their education, they would have required stationery, school fees, transportation costs, and so on.
This ban made me lose hope in what I envisioned for my children's future.
I don’t have a mahram available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Apart from doing my work, I am living in a society where I must go out and buy our family basic needs, such as food, clothing and so on. When I go outside, I'm afraid. I am afraid that they will stop me and beat me.
On top of that, as a female aid worker, I am worried about being stopped and questioned at the Taliban checkpoints. I feel stressed and anxious every time.
I call on the international community to not abandon Afghan women and girls who are the victims of these bans and discriminatory rules.
Millions of girls are banned from attending schools and universities and working with humanitarian organizations.
I am worried this ban will encourage even more gender-based violence and forced marriage. It will exacerbate food insecurity and malnutrition as the lack of female participation in the workforce will mean women and children will never access to these essential services.
The international community must stand for Afghan women's rights and engage in dialogue with the Taliban to reverse these bans so that women and girls can go to work and universities.
This is having a toll on me psychologically. I am worried about my children's future. If the bans continue, I will consider migrating abroad to secure a safe future for my children.
I feel depressed. As an aid worker, I don't feel safe, and I am afraid for my life. I am worried that I might be targeted because of my job.
IOM
Women should not be sentenced to confinement between the four walls of their homes.
The women here are heroes, not just because of their work or their success, but because they are women in Afghanistan, and that will make them heroes for eternity.
Let's all try together to build a bridge of knowledge firmly, so that tomorrow Afghanistan is not source of darkness, ignorance, and illiteracy.
Women's rights are recognized and protected in Islam and by the international community. Women should not be sentenced to confinement between the four walls of their homes.
Afghanistan had a poor record in women's rights, and it became worse after the Taliban takeover. It started with abolishing the Ministry of Women's Affairs, to making it clear that women have nowhere to go to if they encounter any problems.
As an Afghan woman, I am the victim of these bans and discriminatory rules. I fought -despite all the difficulties- to be educated and serve my country. I don't want to believe that all of that will be in vain.
Women are now required to have a mahram whenever they go out. What if there are simply not enough men to accompany each girl or woman in the family? What if they don't have a father? What if their brothers are underage? Where can women -who are in such situations- find a mahram?
Women are now banned from working. They are not allowed to go out on field missions. Women cannot even use the public transport system in a country that is facing extreme poverty. Unfortunately, the men in our families including the father, husband and brothers are not willing to defend our rights. They threaten and oppress us more instead.
There's a lack of women professionals in many sectors, and with these bans, there will be even fewer educated women. There will be no more women who will graduate to become teachers and doctors. This is a painful situation to endure.
This is the greatest persecution of women in the world. The bans will also destroy children's future, and it will result in an ignorant and poor society where early marriage is prevalent and women's rights are not protected. Ignoring women means removing half of the population, which will make the remaining half weak and hopeless.
But people who read books will never be enslaved. Let's all try together to build a bridge of knowledge firmly, so that tomorrow Afghanistan is not source of darkness, ignorance, and illiteracy.
We should never give up. No matter how desperate we are. The women here are heroes, not just because of their work or their success, but because they are women in Afghanistan, and that will make them heroes for eternity.
UNHCR
“I want to serve as a role model and motivate the girls to stay in school.”
I grew up as a refugee in Peshawar. My father was a teacher in Afghanistan and encouraged everyone in the family to study hard. After returning to Afghanistan in 2010, I continued to learn, graduating from university with a degree in computer science. I am passionate about my studies, and I want to teach other girls to learn as well. Now, I teach English and computer science to refugee returnees like me.
I want to serve as a role model and motivate the girls to stay in school. I continued my education [despite] a lot of financial problems and cultural challenges. I feel what other girls at the school feel. I firmly believe that the computer skills and knowledge of English … can help the girls continue their education online, even at home. It will help them to access various education sources on the internet while pursuing their journey of getting educated. It will also help students to do their research and gain more knowledge on topics they are interested in.
My parents couldn’t afford even the basic life essentials, including a further education for me and my siblings. Now we have returned, I am happy. We have a decent home, and I was able to get a higher education back in Afghanistan. Seeing young girls drop out of school or prevented from going to learn due to lack of female teachers makes me feel sad.
The situation may worsen for girls and women and will also lead to early and forced marriages. I don’t receive a teaching salary, but the joy of seeing girls come to school every day is the source of my pride and satisfaction.
UNHCR
“I wanted to be a midwife because I saw many mothers and children died because there was no access to health services and no midwife in our village.”
I wanted to be a midwife because I saw many mothers and children died because there was no access to health services and no midwife in our village.
We live far away from the nearest health center and to get there, it is very difficult. The health district hospital is about 10-20 kilometers from my village, but it is hard to reach. In the winter, access roads are closed because of snow. One winter, I remember, five mothers were supposed to deliver. They were taken to hospital, but four died along the way.
I feel lucky to be able to continue my studies as the health sector is one area where exemptions allow women to continue working. At the same, I am sad that other women like me cannot go to school. It is not logical in the 21st century. If this situation continues, we cannot fill the gaps for a long time. Afghanistan cannot fill the gaps.
I hope this decree will be revoked as soon as possible and that activities for girls can be resumed in our schools. Girls should have access to training at school, at university and work.
Yes, we are lucky to have this class continue, and we will continue to study hard and do our best. But still, we are concerned. What if other restrictions are coming? We don’t have a clear future.
UNOPS
“I will continue to break stereotypes and become a role model for other women in my community.”
When I was a little girl, I was curious, innovative, and eager to bring change to the world. My dream was to use technology and innovations to build a better Afghanistan. And my dream came true as I became a civil engineer.
I am passionate about helping Afghan women, ensuring their access to transportation infrastructure in the rural areas. Seeing a smile on their faces after completion of each project motivates me to work even harder for the development of my country.
Thanks to technology, I can freely talk with engineers, architects, clients, construction contractors and most importantly with the beneficiaries, especially women, using different online and offline networks and channels. Using engineering software has enabled me to design, manage, and define the risk for our projects which benefits millions of Afghan people. I take full advantage of the benefits offered by the digital space for connecting with women and advocating for their inclusion. I am happy to share that the women in Afghanistan are using technology too. Through the digital platform, I can stay connected with the beneficiaries in the field.
Despite all the ups and downs, all the fears and pressures, Afghan women remain resilient and committed to work harder and support each other and their communities. Being a woman engineer in the field is a tough and challenging job. I am determined to do my job to the best of my abilities.
I will continue to break stereotypes and become a role model for other women in my community.
UN Women
“No society can last long without the presence of women.”
Since the day they took power, I have not been allowed to enter my school. They are excluding us from society by not allowing us to work alongside the men. This is my worst memory. All my classmates whom I am still in touch with are in the same situation. All of them are demotivated and depressed. I have lost my self-esteem during this last year. I have noticed that people do not love Afghanistan anymore. Of course, this is our homeland, but when there are no job opportunities and one cannot provide for their family, how can they live here?
The Taliban regime started their stay in power by banning work and education for women – that is what they really are. The women of Afghanistan have not had any social role this last year.
The Taliban do not count on women at all. Although women are half the society, their will is not respected under Taliban rule.
Women’s presence is important for the development of a country, and their absence causes decadence. A society without women is subject to destruction. Afghanistan is also on the verge of destruction in the absence of women. Without women, societies are destroyed. No society can last long without the presence of women.
I am a woman and I feel bad about not being counted on and being neglected. I believe if the situation continues like this, with women being neglected, Afghanistan will collapse. Nevertheless, I still have hope. I still hope the girls’ schools will reopen and we can continue our education. Together we will reconstruct Afghanistan and live happily.
OCHA
“The ban on female aid workers felt like the final nail in our hopes of seeing a change in the Taliban’s attitude towards women.
Each ban is taking away our sense of being equal human beings.”
Growing up as a young girl, especially coming from a minority group, I was determined to work hard and contribute towards the development of my family and community.
I completed my studies and returned home to work in the humanitarian sector, full of hope and enthusiasm to help my country. But with what our country has turned out to be today, all my hopes have been dashed.
Since the Taliban took over in August 2021, we have seen the space, dignity, respect, and opportunities for women shrinking and eroding. The ban on female aid workers felt like the final nail in our hopes of seeing a change in the Taliban’s attitude towards women.
Soon after the Taliban took over, my sister and I were beaten by their security forces in town for allegedly not wearing the hijab properly. From that day, I sensed the worst was coming. Since then, we have witnessed one ban after another. Each ban is taking away our sense of being equal human beings.
Restrictions on women are making life tough for families. They affect men, women, and children, even though women bear the brunt because they are the target.
When I started working, I asked my father to be my mahram [a male family member]. There was no other man in the family to help me. He escorted me to work every day and accompanied me to carry out family and personal errands.
This changed when he fell sick. He cannot go around with me anymore, but the de facto authorities still expect us to comply with the mahram requirement. They beat women for not complying with it.
I feel sad that every time we meet with fellow female aid workers, we spend most of our time crying over the tough conditions we are living under in our own country.
As young professionals, we are supposed to discuss how to improve our country. We now call these meetings ‘crying sessions.’ They help us to de-stress. It is one way we try to find healing, as it seems the Taliban are not willing to listen to us, their people.
We do not see a brighter future if we are not allowed to participate in life and society.
Note: Names, locations, and course of events have been changed in this article to ensure the safety of the Afghan woman featured. The content of the stories does not necessarily represent the views of the United Nations or affiliated organization.
1 of 5
Story
15 August 2022
One year since the Taliban takeover: We can’t turn our backs on Afghanistan’s future
Shortly before the Taliban takeover one year ago, I visited an orphanage in Kunduz, a city in the north of Afghanistan. I was heartbroken when I spoke with a young girl there who had lost her entire family the day before, following intense fighting between the Afghan National Security Forces and the Taliban. Although she was safe from any immediate danger, had access to food, shelter and other life-saving necessities thanks to the support from our UN team on the ground, I knew that her needs and those of other vulnerable children across Afghanistan were far greater, and the problems faced by their communities more complex.
One year on, these challenges have grown exponentially and our efforts to build a stable future for children like the ones I met last year in Kunduz have become more demanding. From hunger to chronic poverty, to increase in negative coping mechanisms, such as child marriage or selling of organs and children, the scale of suffering in Afghanistan continues to rise across many areas since the Taliban advanced on Kabul last summer.
Over half of the country’s population now live below the poverty line. Nearly 23 million people are food insecure, many of them severely so, and more than 2 million children are suffering from malnutrition. In June 2022, a 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck central region of Afghanistan, killing over 1,000 people and pushing already vulnerable communities to the brink.
I am especially worried about Afghan women and girls, whose lives have changed unrecognizably since the Taliban returned to power last summer. Since 15 August, we have seen a significant rolling back of their economic, political, and social rights and a worrying escalation in restrictive gender policies and behaviors. Without the right to education, work and freedom of movement, women now find themselves increasingly relegated to the margins.
As these developments began to unfold last year, our UN team vowed to stay and deliver for the people of Afghanistan. Under the auspices of the One UN Transitional Engagement Framework for Afghanistan, the overarching strategic planning document that guides our UN team’s work on the ground, we have been able to save lives whilst sustaining essential services and preserving key community systems. In the first six months of this year alone, we reached 22.9 million with some form of humanitarian assistance – 94 per cent of the overall 24.4 million people in need. Vulnerable households were supported with life-saving and life-sustaining food assistance – from emergency rations, to seasonal support, agricultural supplies and nutritious supplements – to healthcare, emergency shelter and non-food items, WASH and protection assistance.
Yet despite our unprecedented response, the needs across Afghanistan remain vast. Rates of food insecurity, poverty and debt have soared since the Taliban returned to power last summer, even if the roots of these problems existed long before 15 August 2021 following decades of neglect and underdevelopment in key public services and infrastructure.
Without access to these services, including strong healthcare, a functioning banking system and resilient agricultural sector, the lives of ordinary Afghans will continue to hang in the balance. The people of Afghanistan deserve a serious commitment and sustained investment in their future, which is why, one year into the Taliban takeover, we are redoubling our efforts to strengthen the fundamental pillars of Afghan society, starting with its economy.
Guided by the objectives set out in our Transitional Engagement Framework, we will focus on recovering the economy from the bottom up, expanding women’s economic participation and creating more than two million new jobs. With more sustainable sources of income, families will be better equipped to break out of endless cycles of hunger and slowly reduce their dependence on humanitarian assistance. The full return of women to work is essential to transforming Afghanistan’s economy, which is why we are working hard to support women-led businesses and expand employment opportunities for women across the country.
Since the majority of people in Afghanistan live in rural areas, we must focus particular attention on sustaining the agricultural economy by strengthening agricultural-food systems and developing stronger links between farmers, food producers and local markets.
Our UN team is already implementing these approaches in rural areas across Afghanistan, including in some of the regions affected by the recent earthquakes. Visiting this area in south-eastern Afghanistan earlier this month, one of the young men I met gave me a handwritten note which listed the immediate asks for his village: clean water, homes, education, health, roads and jobs. The message to the UN was clear: support us with these simple requests now and we can better support ourselves through the uncertainties of the future.
As we move forward, we will continue to work to improve the lives of people in Afghan - including women and girls. When the Taliban returned to power last summer, we rapidly scaled up the provision of essential health, education and protection services for women and girls. We have expanded this support in recent months, opening new women friendly health spaces in Kabul for increased access to psychological support; scaling up mobile health teams to reach more vulnerable women and children affected by the earthquakes and rolling out more training programmes for displaced and returnee women through our empowerment centers.
Whatever uncertainties lie ahead, we will place the needs of women and girls at the center of our recovery efforts and will work every day to ensure that they return to work, go back to school, and are able to resume their right to live free and equal lives.
Thinking back to this day last year, I am proud of the support our UN team has provided the people of Afghanistan, and the efforts we have made to prevent some of the worst-case scenarios that we feared from playing out.
Profoundly moved and motivated by ground realities, I look at the challenges ahead, and reiterate our mission to ensure that every person in Afghanistan, including children like the girl from Kunduz, can plan and have a dignified future, well beyond striving for survival today.
By Ramiz Alakbarov, Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Resident & Humanitarian Coordinator in Afghanistan.
1 of 5
Press Release
29 August 2023
UNFAO receives funding from Japan to support community-based irrigation for enhanced agricultural production in Afghanistan
August 2023- Kabul, Afghanistan: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in partnership with the Government of Japan, facilitated by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has launched a four–year project with a budget of USD 9.5 million. The project aims to increase the amount of irrigated land, boost local food production and strengthen the food security and livelihood resilience of more than 12 600 poor food insecure men, women and children in Kunar province in eastern Afghanistan. The project will also provide direct environmental benefits to local communities, helping to protect fragile rangelands and recharge vital groundwater resources, particularly important in the context of increasing climate change impacts.
Agriculture depends on water. Increasing population and growing climate change impacts make access to water ever-more important across Afghanistan, a country where more than 70 percent of food production depends on irrigation. The project will rehabilitate the existing Nurgal irrigation canal in Kunar province, improving both the quantity and reliability of irrigation water for agricultural production and increasing the total command area – the agricultural land irrigated by the canal – by 70 hectares to a total of 643 hectares, leading to both increases in overall agricultural production and increases in productivity of at least 12 percent. Importantly, the project will enable poor food insecure rural households to plant two crops a year, rather than just a single wheat crop, boosting incomes, resilience and food security. The project will also deliver benefits to communities, helping to protect more than 2 000 hectares of fragile rangelands through improved and adapted plant varieties, and recharging vital groundwater resources. The project builds on and enhances the Green Ground Project initiated by Dr. Tetsu Nakamura and Peace (Japan) Medical Services (PMS) to build irrigation systems in the Kunar River Basin from 2003. By 2023, the PMS project has transformed 23 800 hectares of abandoned arid farmlands back to green fields. The beneficiaries have been over 650 000 people.
While addressing the attendees at the project signing ceremony today at the ICON compound, H.E. Takashi Okada, the Japanese Ambassador to Afghanistan, stated, "The drastic change by the Green Ground Project brought not only food, water and livelihood but also hopes to people. The success is a testimony to the hard work and resilience of the Afghan people. Japan will work together with FAO on this Dr. Nakamura’s legacy project to enable local communities to manage precious water resources and develop sustainable agriculture. Japan will continue to support Afghans to help themselves so that they can rebuild their livelihood and once again stand on their own feet."
“FAO appreciates the continuous and timely support of the Government of Japan in advancing agriculture, supporting irrigation, bolstering food security, and enhancing livelihoods of local communities across many parts of Afghanistan”, said Richard Trenchard, FAO Representative in Afghanistan. “Water is life. Water is food. Access to irrigation is ever-more important across Afghanistan, particularly for poor food insecure rural households. Given the evolving impacts of climate change impacts on rural areas, Japan’s generous assistance will significantly boost the agricultural productivity of the most vulnerable, marginalized and food insecure farmers, strengthening both food security and livelihood resilience, and will help protect fragile rangeland and groundwater resources. Moreover, empowering local communities to address water management challenges not only improves social cohesion but also reinforces community ownership and the sustainability of project outcomes,” he added.
Optimizing irrigation infrastructure to enhance food security
The project will establish and optimize the national capacity in managing and utilizing irrigation systems, employing the PMS method. Through the PMS method, the project will promote informed community-based sustainable practices to improve traditional irrigation infrastructure, ensuring a reliable water supply to downstream communities that rely on irrigation for their livelihoods. The project will focus on sustaining functional irrigation facilities, encompassing intake weirs, control gates, cross-drainage structures, culverts, dividers, supper passages, sediment pond structures, regulating gates, and restoration of secondary/tertiary canals in line with the ‘PMS Method Irrigation Project Guidelines’.
As an integral component of the project, the watershed management and rainwater harvesting activities will focus on the flood management and the mitigation of rapid rainwater flows in catchment areas. These efforts will involve the planting adaptable plants, construction of water ponds, check-dams, and other measures for effective rainwater harvesting. The interventions will be determined through consultations with community representatives to optimize canal conveyance capacity, thereby ensuring a reliable water supply within the targeted irrigation systems.
PMS experts will train more than 100 local technical experts in the PMS method. Moreover, 110 water users from the community will receive trainings in operations and maintenance, enabling them to manage the irrigation systems effectively and sustainably, ensuring long-term results and impacts.
In Afghanistan, FAO is dedicated to enhancing resilience in all 34 provinces of the country, strengthening efforts to preserve and revive agricultural livelihoods and local ecosystems. These efforts includes various facets, such as improving the production of nutritious foods, increasing cash incomes, and safeguarding the critical agriculture sector developments achieved over recent decades through the revitalization of rural markets and the economy.
Media contacts:
Embassy of Japan in Afghanistan
Dr. Ibrahim Mohammad,
Email: ibrahim.mohammad@kb.mofa.go.jp
+93786078666
FAO - Afghanistan
Mr. Sayed Maqsod Hashimi,
Email: SayedMaqsod.Hashimi@fao.org
+93787808077
1 of 5
Press Release
03 July 2023
UN launches new Strategic Framework for supporting Afghan people
The United Nations in Afghanistan issued today its Strategic Framework for Afghanistan for the period 2023-2025, outlining the priorities of the organization in support of the Afghan people. The UN Strategic Framework articulates the UN’s approach to addressing basic human needs in Afghanistan, prioritizing the needs and rights of those most vulnerable, including women and girls, children and youth, internally displaced persons, returnees, refugees, ethnic and religious minorities.
“Our Strategic Framework is a robust offer of assistance to the people of Afghanistan to address their basic human needs and complement the ongoing delivery of lifesaving humanitarian assistance,” said the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, Roza Otunbayeva.
The UN Strategic Framework was developed in close consultations with Member States, partners, and stakeholders. The United Nations Country Team and partners have identified three complementary and mutually reinforcing joint priorities as it supports the basic human needs of the Afghan people:
Sustained Essential Services in key sectors such as health, nutrition, education, employment, water, sanitation, hygiene, social protection, and protection that are accessible to all, affordable, and can be delivered free from all forms of discrimination.
Economic Opportunities and Resilient Livelihoods through the creation of an enabling environment that facilitates economic growth and the provision of decent work opportunities, especially for excluded groups such as women.
Social Cohesion, Inclusion, Gender Equality, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law - as prerequisites for sustainable development and peace in Afghanistan - strengthening civil society engagement and advocacy for alignment of Afghanistan’s normative and legal frameworks with international human rights instruments.
“The United Nations and its partners recognize that humanitarian aid alone will not be enough to sustainably address the large-scale and increasing human suffering of the Afghan people in the medium and long term,” said the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim, Daniel Endres.
The UN Strategic Framework has a special focus on the delivery of principled assistance in response to the increasingly restrictive environment facing all Afghans, in particular women and girls.
The ban against Afghan women working for the UN adds to earlier restrictions placed on Afghan women and girls by the de facto authorities: against women working for NGOs, against women working for other diplomatic entities; preventing girls from attending secondary and tertiary education institutions; against girls and women visiting public parks, baths, and gyms.
These and other edicts limit the physical movement of women and girls and their participation in economic, social and public life. “Whether the UN can fully implement this framework will depend on actions by the de facto authorities and on donor support,” said Mr. Endres.
Link: https://afghanistan.un.org/en/238795-united-nations-strategic-framework-afghanistan
1 of 5
Press Release
08 March 2023
THE UN IN AFGHANISTAN CALLS FOR AN IMMEDIATE END TO DRACONIAN RESTRICTIONS ON THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN & GIRLS BY THE DE FACTO AUTHORITIES
On International Women’s Day, the United Nations in Afghanistan is renewing its call on the country’s de facto authorities to halt and reverse harsh restrictions on the fundamental rights of women and girls.
Since August 2021, the Taliban de facto authorities have demonstrated an almost singular focus on imposing rules that leave most women and girls effectively trapped in their homes. These restrictions are at odds with human rights obligations set forth in instruments concerning human rights and fundamental freedoms to which Afghanistan is a State party and by which it is bound, and damage Afghanistan’s prospects of recovering from decades of war.
“Afghanistan under the Taliban remains the most repressive country in the world regarding women’s rights, and it has been distressing to witness their methodical, deliberate, and systematic efforts to push Afghan women and girls out of the public sphere,” said Roza Otunbayeva, Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) and head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
“Confining half of the country’s population to their homes in one of the world’s largest humanitarian and economic crises is a colossal act of national self-harm. It will condemn not only women and girls, but all Afghans, to poverty and aid-dependency for generations to come. It will further isolate Afghanistan from its own citizens and from the rest of the world,” Otunbayeva said.
UNAMA has recorded an almost constant stream of discriminatory edicts and measures against women by the de facto authorities since August 2021.
In September 2021, the de facto authorities suspended girls’ secondary education and, despite public pronouncements to the contrary, extended the suspension indefinitely when classes resumed in March 2022. Although the de facto authorities have said that they are in the process of aligning the school curriculum with Islamic values and cultural norms, no progress has been visible. In December 2022, the de facto Ministry of Higher Education suspended university education for women.
The denial of access to education has innumerable actual and potential physical and psychosocial repercussions, including suicides; child marriage; early childbearing; poverty-related losses such as in regard to health, nutrition, well-being and wealth due to lower earnings; diminished agency, decision-making and related social capital; and increased risk of domestic violence and sexual exploitation and abuse.
Women’s right to travel or work outside the confines of their home and to access public spaces is largely restricted. Women have also been excluded from all levels of public decision-making.
“Afghan women have shown incredible courage and resilience in the face of their ongoing and systematic erasure,” said Alison Davidian, Special Representative for UN Women in Afghanistan.
“The implications of the harm the Taliban are inflicting on their own citizens goes beyond women and girls. It impacts all Afghans and will resonate throughout generations. The rights of women and girls must be restored immediately in order to build an inclusive, peaceful and hopeful Afghanistan.”
Women human rights defenders peacefully protesting have been targeted, beaten, and arrested. Combined, these decrees, directives, and rules limit women’s ability to earn a living, access health care and education, escape violence, and exercise their rights.
In 2023, 13.8 million Afghan women and girls are in need of humanitarian assistance – yet the de facto authorities have undermined the unprecedented international aid effort by also banning women working in non-governmental organizations, even though they are crucial to the delivery of life-saving help.
For more information, please contact:
UNAMA: spokesperson-unama@un.org(link sends e-mail)
UN Women: media.team@unwomen.org(link sends e-mail)
1 of 5
Press Release
22 January 2023
High-level UN delegation led by the Deputy Secretary-General calls on Afghanistan’s de facto Taliban authorities to reverse course on recent decrees limiting women’s and girls’ rights, says Afghans must not be abandoned
On behalf of the Secretary-General, the Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, the Executive Director of UN Women, Sima Bahous, and the Assistant Secretary-General of the Department of Political, Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, Khaled Khiari, completed a four-day visit to Afghanistan to appraise the situation, engage de facto authorities and underscore UN solidarity with the Afghan people.
In meetings with de facto authorities in both Kabul and Kandahar, the delegation directly conveyed the alarm over the recent decree banning women from working for national and international non-governmental organizations, a move that undermines the work of numerous organizations helping millions of vulnerable Afghans.
The de facto authorities have also recently moved to close universities to female students across the country until further notice, and have barred girls from attending secondary school, restricted women and girls’ freedom of movement, excluded women from most areas of the workforce and banned women from using parks, gyms and public bath houses.
“My message was very clear: while we recognize the important exemptions made, these restrictions present Afghan women and girls with a future that confines them in their own homes, violating their rights and depriving the communities of their services,” Ms Mohammed said.
“Our collective ambition is for a prosperous Afghanistan that is at peace with itself and its neighbours, and on a path to sustainable development. But right now, Afghanistan is isolating itself, in the midst of a terrible humanitarian crisis and one of the most vulnerable nations on earth to climate change,” she said. “We must do everything we can to bridge this gap.”
During their mission, Ms Mohammed and Ms Bahous met with affected communities, humanitarian workers, civil society and other key actors, in Kabul, Kandahar and Herat.
“We have witnessed extraordinary resilience. Afghan women left us no doubt of their courage and refusal to be erased from public life. They will continue to advocate and fight for their rights, and we are duty bound to support them in doing so,” Ms Bahous said.
“What is happening in Afghanistan is a grave women's right crisis and a wakeup call for the international community. It shows how quickly decades of progress on women´s rights can be reversed in a matter of days. UN Women stands with all Afghan women and girls and will continue to amplify their voices to regain all their rights."
The United Nations and its partners, including national and international non-governmental organizations, are helping more than 25 million Afghans who depend on humanitarian aid to survive, and remain committed to staying and delivering.
The most recent decrees issued by the de facto authorities banning women from working for NGOs has forced many partners to pause operations which can no longer be safely and meaningfully delivered. While the recent exemptions to the ban introduced by the de facto authorities are opening spaces for humanitarians to continue - and in some cases resume - operations, these remain limited to few sectors and activities.
“The effective delivery of humanitarian assistance is predicated on principles that require full, safe and unhindered access for all aid workers, including women”, Ms Mohammed said.
The visit to Afghanistan followed a series of high-level consultations on Afghanistan across the Gulf and Asia. The delegation met with the leadership of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Islamic Development Bank, groups of Afghan women in Ankara and Islamabad and a group of Ambassadors and Special Envoys to Afghanistan based in Doha.
The delegation convened with government leaders from the region and religious leaders to advocate for the crucial role and full participation of women and rally support for the Afghan people.
Throughout the visits, countries and partners recognized the critical role of the UN in building bridges to finding lasting solutions, as well as the urgency to deliver lifesaving support and maintain effective engagement, led by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
They asked that efforts be intensified to reflect the urgency of the situation and stressed the importance of a unified response by the international community.
The need for a revitalized and realistic political pathway was consistently highlighted and all remained firm on the fundamental principles, including women's and girls’ rights to education, work and public life in Afghanistan.
There was broad consensus that the region and the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation’s leadership on these issues was critical.
The proposal of an international conference on women and girls in the Muslim World during the month of March 2023 was also considered and agreed in principle.
For more information, please contact:
Office of the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General
Farhan Haq, haqf@un.org
UNAMA
spokesperson-unama@un.org
UN Women
media.team@unwomen.org
1 of 5
Press Release
08 January 2023
UN condemns reported ban on women working for NGOs and International Organizations
The United Nations is profoundly concerned by reports that the Taliban de facto authorities today issued an order barring all female employees of national and international organizations from going to work with immediate effect. Any such order would violate the most fundamental rights of women, as well as be a clear breach of humanitarian principles.
The UN will seek to meet with the Taliban leadership to obtain clarity on the reported order. Women must be enabled to play a critical role in all aspects of life, including the humanitarian response. Their participation must be both respected and safeguarded. This latest decision will only further hurt those most vulnerable, especially women and girls.
The UN in Afghanistan and its partners condemn the reported order and remind the de facto authorities that taking away the free will of women to choose their own fate, disempowering and excluding them systematically from all aspects of public and political life takes the country backward, jeopardizing efforts for any meaningful peace or stability in the country.
For further information, please contact: Tapiwa Gomo, Public Information Officer, OCHA Afghanistan, gomo@un.org, Mobile: +93 79 600 0152. www.unocha.org www.reliefweb.int
1 of 5
Latest Resources
1 / 11
Resources
24 September 2023
Resources
24 October 2022
1 / 11