Afghanistan ranks 175th in the 2025 Global Press Freedom Index, reflecting severe restrictions on media and declining journalistic freedom.

Afghanistan ranks 175th out of 180 countries in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), reflecting a persistently dire situation for media under Taliban rule. While the country climbed three spots from last year, its overall score of just 17.88 out of 100 underscores an ongoing crisis in media freedom.

On Friday, May 2, Reporters Without Borders released its annual report on global press freedom, stating that Afghanistan has ranked 175th out of 180 countries, highlighting the country’s ongoing media crisis under Taliban rule.

RSF reports that since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, Afghanistan’s media environment has suffered severe setbacks. Independent journalism has been heavily restricted, media pluralism has largely disappeared, and journalists — particularly women — face targeted repression. According to RSF, Taliban authorities enforce rigid control over content, effectively allowing only state-approved narratives.

Afghanistan scores poorly across all five key indicators: political context, legal framework, economic environment, sociocultural factors, and safety of journalists. In the legal indicator, Afghanistan ranks 178th; in security, 175th; and in the economic domain, 165th. This multi-dimensional decline paints a picture of a deeply hostile environment for the press.

The report highlights that many female journalists have left the profession due to threats and coercion, particularly from the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. Several media outlets have shut down, while others operate under fear and censorship, severely compromising journalistic independence and ethical reporting standards.

Globally, press freedom is also on the decline. For the first time since RSF began the Index, the global average score has dropped to a level categorized as “difficult situation” — worse than the previous “problematic” status. RSF attributes this decline to political pressure, economic hardship, media ownership concentration, and dwindling public trust in journalism.

While Norway retains its position as the freest country for media, RSF warns that nearly one-third of the global population now lives in countries where press freedom is described as “very serious”. Afghanistan is emblematic of this regression, standing out as one of the world’s harshest environments for journalists.

RSF has urged the international community to act decisively against the growing threats faced by Afghan journalists. The organization calls for concrete support for independent media and renewed advocacy for freedom of expression in Afghanistan. Failure to respond risks the total erasure of press freedom in a country already burdened by conflict and authoritarian control.

As press freedom continues to erode in Afghanistan, international advocacy, humanitarian support, and policy intervention remain critical. Sustained pressure on the Taliban and aid for embattled journalists — particularly women and minority voices — is essential to prevent further deterioration and preserve the remaining pillars of a free press.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has reported that more than 5,000 Afghan citizens have died on migration routes since 2014. The findings were published in a report released on Tuesday, April 29, highlighting the dangers faced by those fleeing crisis-affected countries.

According to the IOM, thousands of these deaths occurred following the political upheaval in Afghanistan in 2021, when many Afghans attempted to escape the country amid instability and fear under the Taliban regime.

The report further notes that over 52,000 people worldwide have died while fleeing crisis-affected countries during the same period. These deaths underline the devastating toll of forced displacement globally.

IOM stated that 54 percent of these fatalities occurred within or near conflict-affected or disaster-hit countries, including Afghanistan and Myanmar. The dangers faced by migrants are often highest near their places of origin, where formal escape routes and protection mechanisms are minimal.

Specifically, more than 3,100 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar also lost their lives during attempts to flee persecution, reflecting the broader pattern of humanitarian catastrophes across the country.

Since the Taliban takeover in August 2021, Afghanistan has witnessed a surge in emigration. The regime’s suppression of civil liberties—particularly the rights of women—has intensified desperation, driving thousands to risk perilous journeys in search of safety and dignity.

Despite more than three years under Taliban control, the group has failed to stop the outflow of citizens. Many Afghans, seeing no future in their homeland, are willing to risk death for a chance at life elsewhere.

The UN warns Afghanistan faces a worsening drought crisis, urging urgent aid as millions struggle with food, water, and livelihood shortages.

Tom Fletcher, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and head of OCHA (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs), has issued a grave warning about the intensifying drought crisis in Afghanistan. In a video message released on Thursday, May 1, Fletcher shared details of his visit to Spin Boldak district in Kandahar, where communities are struggling with severe water shortages and failed crops.

Fletcher announced that the United Nations has allocated $17 million to provide emergency food, clean water, and livelihood support for affected populations. He stressed that this funding is only a fraction of what is required to address the needs of millions who face hunger and displacement due to ongoing climate-induced disasters and economic collapse.

According to Fletcher, climate change is having an increasingly devastating impact on Afghanistan’s rural population. Farmers are no longer able to grow staple crops like wheat, leaving entire families without food security. He emphasized that humanitarian action must be paired with long-term climate adaptation and resilience-building strategies.

This warning comes amid additional concerns over the mass return of Afghan refugees from neighboring countries, particularly Pakistan and Iran.

The forced deportation of tens of thousands of Afghans adds further pressure on already strained local resources and humanitarian services, intensifying the ongoing crisis. OCHA and other UN agencies have raised alarm over the potential for widespread displacement, food insecurity, and disease outbreaks.

Fletcher has previously warned that the reduction in international aid to Afghanistan could result in the death of millions. With humanitarian funding in sharp decline since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, many NGOs and UN agencies have faced operational constraints, despite the urgent and growing needs across the country.

In response, agencies such as the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF have echoed OCHA’s concerns, urging the international community not to abandon Afghanistan during a time of worsening climate shocks and displacement. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has also confirmed that prolonged drought conditions now threaten over 25 out of 34 Afghan provinces.

To prevent further deterioration, humanitarian leaders have called for renewed international cooperation, flexible funding, and unhindered access for aid workers. Without sustained investment in both emergency relief and long-term resilience, Afghanistan may face one of the worst climate-driven humanitarian crises in the region.