Afghanistan’s human rights situation continues to deteriorate under Taliban rule, with escalating repression against women, media, and minorities, while humanitarian needs grow more desperate by the day.
Afghanistan remains the only country where girls and women are banned from secondary and higher education. Women are barred from most jobs, public spaces, and even traveling without a male guardian. New edicts require women to cover their faces, forbid them from speaking publicly, and enforce harsh penalties for violations of dress codes. UN experts report incommunicado detentions, threats, and physical abuse of women held for dress-related infractions.
Humanitarian Crisis at Breaking Point
Over 23 million Afghans require urgent aid. Food insecurity has reached alarming levels, with nearly 13 million people facing acute hunger. The healthcare system is collapsing, especially for women, who face additional restrictions accessing treatment or working in medical roles. Services for people with disabilities have nearly vanished.
Media, Speech Under Attack
The Taliban continue detaining journalists and suppressing free expression. Live political broadcasts and interviews without prior approval have been banned. Reporters face arbitrary arrest and torture, often without charges or legal representation.
Terror and Civilian Attacks Escalate
The Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP) has stepped up deadly attacks on ethnic minorities, particularly the Hazara community. Suicide bombings and shootings have claimed dozens of civilian lives in Kabul, Herat, and Daikundi. Pakistani airstrikes in eastern provinces also killed civilians, raising cross-border tensions.
Mass Deportations and Refugee Struggles
More than 665,000 Afghans were forcibly returned from Pakistan after a campaign of arrests and deportations. Most returnees face economic ruin and lack basic services. Meanwhile, resettlement efforts by Western countries remain slow, leaving thousands stranded in legal limbo in neighboring states.
Global Calls for Accountability
Germany, Australia, Canada, and the Netherlands have brought a case against Afghanistan to the International Court of Justice, accusing the Taliban of systematic gender-based violence and discrimination. While the UN has urged stronger accountability, no international mechanism has been created to address ongoing abuses.
Afghanistan remains gripped by authoritarian rule, gender apartheid, and humanitarian collapse, as the world watches with limited response.
