As Afghan schools remain closed for girls, mental health crisis builds

By

The Washington Post

KABUL — Psychiatrist Shafi Azim spent much of his career attending to the trauma caused by two decades of fighting, which ripped apart buildings and families.

But over the past months, his hospital — Afghanistan’s primary mental health facility in Kabul — has filled with patients who say they are experiencing a different kind of suffering, he said. With the Taliban leadership severely restricting female education and work, there are mounting concerns about the mental health of girls and women. The restrictions and “sudden changes,” said Azim, appear to be at the root of the trauma suffered by most women and girls now seeking help at this hospital.

“They fear they will never be able to go back to work or school,” said Azim, 60. “They are isolated and become depressed.”

Mental health professionals at five Afghan hospitals and health centers shared similar accounts of a rising challenge. They said many women are receiving outpatient therapy and medication. Some have been encouraged by doctors to seek an escape in the shrinking number of activities that are still tolerated.

“As the circle of limitations and restrictions widens,” said a female mental health worker, “even women who were so far not directly impacted by the bans are now being dragged into it.”

The Taliban says that women’s lives have improved under its two-year rule. Supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada issued a ban on forced marriages shortly after taking power, and he vowed in a recent audio message that he wants women to live “comfortable” lives.

But many women tell a different story. A 29-year old participating in an art workshop for girls and young women in Kabul said she is afraid of the moments when her fellow students say they are starting to feel better. “These days, it actually just means they have given up hoping for a better life,” said the woman, who like others interviewed spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

Resistance and resignation

Even before the Taliban came to power, a study published in the journal BMC Psychiatry found that about half of Afghan women suffered from high psychological distress.

Viviane Kovess-Masfety, one of the study’s authors, said no comparable study has been released since the Taliban takeover. It may be too soon to tell if psychological conditions blamed on the restrictions reflect mounting nationwide distress, she said, adding that the end of the war also may have prompted positive changes.

But particularly in urban areas, the Taliban’s view of what women’s lives should look like has often been met with resistance, criticism and — increasingly — resignation, as the government has banned secondary and university education for women, prohibited them from working for nongovernmental organizations or U.N. agencies in many roles and restricted their access to public spaces. This week, the Taliban ordered beauty salons to close within a month, eliminating one of the last opportunities for women to work and socialize.

Representatives of Afghanistan’s health ministry, which granted The Washington Post access to visit several hospitals, did not respond to questions. The ministry has not released public data on mental illness among women.

In the main hospital of Herat in western Afghanistan, mental health department head Shafiq Umair said he had seen no cases of girls “shaken because they can’t go to school.” The world “thinks our women are weak, but they are very strong,” he said, adding that “our women aren’t interested in getting education.”

But a few yards down the crowded corridor, his colleagues were attending to a hospitalized 16-year-old whose mother recalled how her daughter’s mental health had deteriorated after the girl’s 80-year-old fiancé prohibited her from going to school. When she decided instead to teach younger students at a madrassa, a religious school, her fiancé banned that, too.

When her daughter is depressed, the mother said, she tells her that one day she will get back to teaching. “It’s the only way to motivate her these days,” she said.

Similar accounts are more widespread than the hospital’s management admits, according to one doctor, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk with journalists. He estimated that women who struggle to cope with Taliban-imposed restrictions and the more repressive climate account for about 80 percent of non-hospitalized patients in this facility.

“We prescribe them medication or therapy,” the doctor said hurriedly, while his supervisor was elsewhere. “And then we send them away.”

Vanishing opportunities

Eighteen-year-old Sayed has tried to help his sisters persevere, once they were barred from furthering their formal education.

He said he teaches his younger sister at their Kabul home. She usually stays in her room all day, he said, going through books and trying to keep up with the lessons she would have been able to take, had schools not been closed. “But at least she still has hope,” said Sayed.

As her life spiraled downward, he said, his sister sought help at a mental health facility multiple times in recent months.

Afghan psychologists said they must reconcile a growing gap between reality and the optimism they were taught to convey. When young patients come to her these days, “I no longer believe what I tell them,” said a female mental health counselor in Herat.

Another counselor in Herat said the best approach is urging women to forget about the opportunities of the past and to focus on what is still possible. With women banned from gyms and many parks, some psychologists are encouraging girls to turn to art workshops.

In a Kabul business center, more than a dozen girls and young women met on a recent morning to talk, paint and learn. In this neighborhood, which during its worst days before the Taliban takeover was shaken by daily terrorist attacks, dozens of art galleries have in recent months become a refuge.

Some of the girls here used to be on cycling teams or performed spinning kicks at Korean martial arts gyms. Now, their bikes are sold and many of their friends have fled.

The paintings on the walls show fall leaves tumbling from trees, crying children, and the face of a woman covered in blood after a terrorist attack on a nearby mixed-gender educational center.

A 29-year old woman recalled how she was signed up for the workshop by her husband after suffering from depression in recent months. Afraid of hospitals, she had hesitated to seek treatment, but found painting to be an effective therapy, she said. Her favorite drawing shows a child curling up in the cold and staring at a hot mug. It shows depression but also strength, she said, tightly gripping her pencil.

“The Taliban thinks they can destroy us — and they can. But they can’t change our minds,” said Sahar, 16, speaking in flawless English.

“We want to change the world,” her friend agreed.

Their teachers worry that this enthusiasm might not last. Months ago, the gallery was closed by authorities for several weeks, and recently the students’ participation in an upcoming art competition was canceled because their paintings showed faces, which the Taliban has told them is no longer allowed.

“We haven’t told our students yet,” the gallery owner said in a lowered voice.

Rick Noack is a Paris-based correspondent covering France for The Washington Post. Previously, he was a foreign affairs reporter for The Post based in Berlin. He also worked for The Post from Washington, Britain, Australia and New Zealand
As Afghan schools remain closed for girls, mental health crisis builds
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60% of Primary School Aged Girls, 46% Boys Deprived of Education: UNICEF

UNICEF said that Japan has provided $10 million to support the “continuity of children’s learning amidst a learning crisis in Afghanistan.”

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund said in a report that 60 percent of girls and 46 percent of boys of primary school age are currently not getting any level of education in Afghanistan.

UNICEF said that Japan has provided $10 million to support the “continuity of children’s learning amidst a learning crisis in Afghanistan.”

With this contribution, UNICEF said, “71,500 children are expected to continue their education.”

“The Islamic Emirate should have a proper solution so that the international community also makes efforts in the fields of education and higher education, so that it can bring a beneficial result,” said Janat Fahim Chakari, a political analyst.

According to UNICEF, this contribution from the Government of Japan will allow UNICEF to:

– Improve learning environments for 55,000 children in public hub schools by constructing and rehabilitating classrooms, or build handwashing facilities and toilets, based on the needs of specific schools.

– Ensure 16,500 children can continue their education for another two years at the community level.

– Provide in-service training for 990 female and male teachers, school heads and academic supervisors in public schools.

Meanwhile, some of the girl students called on the leader of the Islamic Emirate to allow them access to education.

“Let the girls who are at home today and cannot go to the school, return to their schools,” said Hussna Rahimi, a student.

“Let’s not take away the rights of reading and writing of females because they are girls or women. There is no right to deprive them of their education,” said Zainab Shirzad, a student.

The Japanese ambassador in Kabul, Takashi Okada, met with acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and “explained the international efforts to assist the people of Afghanistan,” Japan’s embassy in Kabul said on Twitter.

“He underlined the importance of better governance, including girls’ education and employment for women, and of mutual confidence building between Afghanistan and the international community,” the embassy said.

60% of Primary School Aged Girls, 46% Boys Deprived of Education: UNICEF
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WFP Afghanistan Received Aid from Over 12 Countries in 2023: Spokesman

The donors include, Kropf said, “New Zealand as well from the European Union, Islamic Development Bank, the United Nations and private donors.”

The spokesman for the World Food Program (WFP) in Afghanistan, Philip Kropf, said that they received contributions from more than 12 countries this year, but warned that the limited funding is threatening the “lifesaving” operation of the organization.

The donors include, Kropf said, “New Zealand as well from the European Union, Islamic Development Bank, the United Nations and private donors.”

“Two countries, India and the Republic of Korea, have supported our work with in kind donations of wheat and rice,” Kropf said.

He said that the WFP was forced to reduce rations and cut 8 million people from assistance across the country in recent weeks.

“Millions of families in Afghanistan are at risk of going hungry … This year and this winter is as important as it was last year and before,” Kropf said.

He also stressed that WFP in Afghanistan “urgently needs $1 billion” to continue emergency operations and help the families to survive the coming winter.

Meanwhile, the acting Minister of Economy, Din Mohammad Hanif, met with the two UN officials and they discussed the projects in education, food, livelihood and health sectors.

“All humanitarian assistance of the international community has been beneficial for countering the food insecurity and rotation of economic infrastructure. Support for development projects by the international community and focusing on sectors that create jobs causes a reduction in poverty, and economic enhancement,” said Abdul Rahman Habib, a spokesman for the MoE.

This comes as the residents of Kabul say that poverty and unemployment increases the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance.

“The poor people should be helped. The poor people should be reached in the villages, districts and cities,” said Talib, a resident of Kabul.

“90 percent of the people are living under the poverty line and a basic problem is the unfair distribution of assistance to the people, and secondly unemployment,” said Fakhruddin, a resident of Kabul.

WFP Afghanistan Received Aid from Over 12 Countries in 2023: Spokesman
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Biden’s Comments on Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan ‘Divorced From Reality’: McCaul

The Islamic Emirate reacted to McCaul’s statement saying that the al-Qaeda has no presence in the country.

The House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul in a statement reacted to US President Biden’s recent remarks on al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, saying that “it is completely divorced from reality for President Biden to claim that al Qaeda is no longer operating in Afghanistan or that the Taliban has somehow become our national security partner in the region.”

Earlier, Biden in response to a question about “mistakes in Afghanistan withdrawal”, said: “Remember what I said about Afghanistan? I said al-Qaida would not be there. I said it wouldn’t be there. I said we’d get help from the Taliban. What’s happening now? What’s going on? Read your press. I was right.”

Referring to a UN report saying the “relationship between the Taliban and al-Qaida remained close and symbiotic with al-Qaida viewing Taliban-administered Afghanistan a safe haven,” McCaul said that Biden’s words can only be interpreted as an attempt to whitewash the Islamic Emirate and al Qaeda’s longstanding ties, and “may even be an attempt to get Washington on the path of recognizing the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan.”

“That is something I will do everything in my power to oppose,” he said.

McCaul also mentioned the US strike in Kabul, in which, according to the US officials, Ayman al- Zawahiri, the leader of al Qaeda was killed.

However, earlier, the Islamic Emirate said that they have not found any details to prove that Zawahiri was killed in Afghanistan.

The US House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman argued that the UN and top US generals regularly report al Qaeda’s growing capabilities, “which not only go unchecked by the Taliban, but are aided by the Taliban through funding and security cooperation.”

The Islamic Emirate reacted to McCaul’s statement saying that the al-Qaeda has no presence in the country and that the Islamic Emirate has no kind of relations with the group.

“Al-Qaeda doesn’t exist in Afghanistan. I seriously deny it. They have a long territory in Arabic countries and it is possible they are there. But they are not allowed in Afghanistan,” said Zabiullah Mujahid, the Islamic Emirate’s spokesman.
The political analysts give various opinions on the matter.

“As much as the world is concerned about it and it is being highlighted in the media, I don’t think al-Qaeda would be at that level that it could attack Western or world countries from Afghan soil,” said Sarwar Niazai, military analyst.

Biden’s Comments on Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan ‘Divorced From Reality’: McCaul
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Japan Seeks to Help Afghans, Engage With De Facto Authorities: Ambassador

The Japanese ambassador in Kabul, Takashi Okada, said that his country’s policy is to first help the Afghan people and to engage with the de facto authorities.

He made the remarks in an interview with TOLOnews, saying that if the de facto authority will “well govern” the people of Afghanistan, then they “will have a stronger legitimacy inside that will lead to a better international relationship” that “will eventually lead to more assistance and a promising future.”

Okada also called education important for both boys and girls.

“That is why I am very happy to let you know that the Japanese government—the scholarship by the ministry of education of the Japanese government–is going to resume next year. So, it is for the master degree and doctor degree,” he said.

Wahid Faqiri, an international relations’ analyst, said that Japan has an important role in Afghanistan.

“As an assisting country, it (Japan) can have its influence in Afghanistan’s affairs,” he said.

Japan is one of the countries which has provided various types of assistance to Afghanistan.

Japan Seeks to Help Afghans, Engage With De Facto Authorities: Ambassador
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Muttaqi Meets With Charge d’Affaires of UK Mission in Afghanistan

Last month, Robert Chatterton Dickson was appointed to serve as the British Embassy’s chargé d’affaires in Afghanistan.

Amir Khan Muttaqi, the acting foreign minister, called for interaction with the current Afghan government, in a meeting with Robert Chatterton Dickson, the ad interim chargé d’affaires of the UK mission in Afghanistan.

According to Hafiz Zia Ahmad Takal, the deputy spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dickson stressed the importance of maintaining Afghanistan’s stability and security and preventing drug trafficking.

Dickson and Muttaqi spoke about commercial issues, education, consular services, and fostering closer ties between Kabul and London during their discussion, the deputy spokesman said.

“The foreign minister discussed the issues facing Afghans residing in Britain and expressed his hope that consular services will begin in London so that Afghans can get their rights,” Takal told TOLOnews.

In the meantime, the acting minister of higher education, Neda Mohammad Nadim, urged collaboration in the area of education in Afghanistan during a separate meeting with Chatterton Dickson.

“Britain’s role in Afghanistan is limited, but it can also improve coordination with other western countries in monitoring the human rights situation in Afghanistan and also can make a significant contribution in providing humanitarian aid,” said Nematullah Bizhanpor, an expert in international relations.

“The interaction of countries with the Taliban is positive if it is intended to alter the Taliban’s policies, but if it means approving the Taliban’s policies, this interaction means taking part in the violation of the rights of the Afghan people,” said Sayed Javad Sajadi, a university lecturer.

Last month, Robert Chatterton Dickson was appointed to serve as the British Embassy’s chargé d’affaires in Afghanistan.

The British Embassy in Afghanistan now operates from Doha, the capital of Qatar.

Muttaqi Meets With Charge d’Affaires of UK Mission in Afghanistan
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Contracts for 4 Mines in Uruzgan Signed With Domestic Companies

Earlier, the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum (MMP) said that it had handed signed contracts for two nephrite mines in Nangarhar to two Afghan companies.

The spokesman for the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, Homayoun Afghan, said they have signed contracts for four mines with four domestic companies. 

Three mines were fluoride and one mine was turquoise.

Paiman said that the companies are obliged to extract from the mines based on the conditions of the contract.

“The bidding for three fluoride and one turquoise mine in Uruzgan province took place in transparency. 25 companies attended the bidding,” Afghan said.
Meanwhile, the Afghanistan Chamber of Industry and Mines (ACIM), said that the mines should be extracted transparently, and their processing should happen inside Afghanistan.

“It is time that the mines of the country be offered to bidding and be extracted and should be given to companies which have the capacity and commitment and who process in Afghanistan. The domestic companies should be prioritized,” said Sakhi Ahmad Paiman, deputy head of the ACIM.
Meanwhile, the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) said that mining accounted for more than $450 million worth of exports last year.

Earlier, the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum (MMP) said that it had handed signed contracts for two nephrite mines in Nangarhar to two Afghan companies.

Contracts for 4 Mines in Uruzgan Signed With Domestic Companies
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Campaign Starts to Reopen Schools, Universities

They said that they would keep campaigning until girls were allowed to attend schools and universities.

University professors, women’s rights activists, and religious clerics have launched a campaign called “Education of Afghan Girls,” with the goal of reopening schools and universities for females in the country.

The campaign’s organizers said that despite their requests to reopen the nation’s schools and universities during the past two years, no action has been taken.

They said that they would keep campaigning until girls were allowed to attend schools and universities.

“The campaign for girls’ education in Afghanistan has been launched as a national initiative, and this campaign will continue until the doors of schools and universities are opened for girls,” said Fazl Hadi Wazeen, a religious cleric.

“This campaign’s goal is to ensure the rights of students above the sixth grade and female students in public and private universities,” said Abeda Majidi, a university lecturer.

Meanwhile, some girls said that they have been faced with an uncertain future after the closure of schools for girls above sixth grade in the country.

“If we don’t study, it is clear that in the future there will be neither good doctors nor good teachers in our country,” said Setara, a student.

“We ask the Taliban to open the doors of the schools for us. We want to study and serve our country,” said Ghazal, another student.

The country’s schools for female students above the sixth grade have been closed for more than 650 days. Even though this issue sparked a wide range of national and international reactions, so far there has been no word about the reopening of educational institutions for girls in the nation.

Campaign Starts to Reopen Schools, Universities
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Afghanistan Discussed in 23rd Shanghai Cooperation Organization Meeting

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said at the summit that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan will contribute to global peace, security and progress.

Afghanistan was discussed during the 23rd Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting, which was hosted by India and started in virtual form on Tuesday.

The participants of this summit discussed a number of significant topics, including the creation of an inclusive government, the fight against terrorism, the issue of human rights, particularly the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan, and providing humanitarian assistance to the nation.

“The situation in Afghanistan has had a direct impact on the security of all of us (countries). India’s concerns and expectations regarding Afghanistan are the same as most of the SCO member countries. We have to make united efforts for the welfare of the people of Afghanistan. Humanitarian aid to Afghans, creation of inclusive government, the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking, ensuring the rights of women, children and minorities are our common priorities,” said the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, said during the summit that fighting the activities of terrorist organizations, drug trafficking, and organized crime is a priority for Russia and its allies in Afghanistan.

“Another focus of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is on the situation in Afghanistan. Our partners have recently talked about this. In this context, the priority of the SCO should be to fight against terrorist activities, prevent the radicalization of minorities, and stop drug trafficking and fight against organized crime,” Putin noted.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said at the summit that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan will contribute to global peace, security and progress.

“The international community should meaningfully engage with the interim Afghan government to take the next steps. Similarly, the interim Afghan government must also take concrete measures to ensure its soil is not used for terrorism by any entity. A peaceful and stable Afghanistan will not only bring economic dividends to the Afghan people but will also unlock the true economic potential of the SCO region as well as contribute to global peace, security and progress,” Sharif added.

In the meantime, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the President of Kazakhstan emphasized the need for the continuation of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.

“We must make sure that all human rights events are honored; and this action will promote regional cooperation and peace. I’m confident that all of your organization members will keep working to support the Afghan people. I also appreciate the Afghan government’s neighbors’ commitment to aiding the people of Afghanistan,” Guterres said.

However, Suhail Shaheen, the head of the Islamic Emirate’s political office in Qatar, said that sanctions imposed on the current government should be lifted and that the Islamic Emirate’s representative should be invited to such summits.

“In order to end poverty and create job opportunities, it is necessary for the United Nations to start other development projects, end economic sanctions and separate political issues from humanitarian issues,” Shaheen said.

The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the 23rd SCO online summit, which included participation by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon, Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi among other leaders of the observer states.

Afghanistan Discussed in 23rd Shanghai Cooperation Organization Meeting
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UN Framework for Afghanistan Prioritizes ‘Most Vulnerable’: Haq

In the meantime, Abdul Latif Nazari, Deputy Minister of Economy, said that the UN can play an important role in supporting the people of Afghanistan.

UN Framework for Afghanistan Prioritizes Women, Minorities, Internally Displaced: Haq

The UN will prioritize issues relating to women and girls, ethnic and religious minorities, and internally displaced persons in Afghanistan, according to Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesperson for the Secretary-General, at a press briefing.

According to Haq, the framework focuses on three complementary and mutually reinforcing joint priorities: sustaining essential services; economic opportunities and resilient livelihoods; and social cohesion, inclusion, gender equality, human rights and the rule of law.

“The new Framework will prioritize the needs and rights of those most vulnerable, including women and girls, children and youth, internally displaced persons, returnees, refugees, [and] ethnic and religious minorities. The Framework focuses on three complementary and mutually reinforcing joint priorities: sustaining essential services; economic opportunities and resilient livelihoods; and social cohesion, inclusion, gender equality, human rights and the rule of law,” Farhan Haq told the press briefing.

In the meantime, Abdul Latif Nazari, Deputy Minister of Economy, said that the UN can play an important role in supporting the people of Afghanistan.

“The UN can play a significant role in supporting the people of Afghanistan. We want good and strategic interaction between the Islamic Emirate, the UN and the international community,” Nazari told TOLOnews.

According to economists, UNAMA can assist the Afghan people in establishing a lasting peace.

“Humanitarian aid is needed in Afghanistan, where over 90% of the population lives in poverty, 28.3 million of them are poor, and six million of them are trapped in absolute poverty,” said economist Sayed Masoud.

“It is a very important organization that can aid Afghans in laying the groundwork for peace and long-term development in Afghanistan,” said Sieyar Qureshi, another economist.

The United Nations Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on Monday released its new road map through 2025, guiding its work on the ground to address basic human needs in Afghanistan.

UN Framework for Afghanistan Prioritizes ‘Most Vulnerable’: Haq
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