UN Women: Girls’ Education a Fundamental Right, Not a Privilege

January 25, 2026

By Fidel Rahmati

Khaama Press

 

UN Women stresses that education is a fundamental right for every girl and woman, urging immediate global action to ensure access and opportunity.

UN Women has emphasized that education is not a privilege but a fundamental right for all women and girls, ensuring equal access and opportunities. Every girl is entitled to choose and participate in learning without discrimination or restriction.

The organization tweeted on Saturday, January 24, that denying girls education undermines not only individual rights but also broader societal development, peace, and prosperity in affected regions.

The United Nations and international human rights frameworks consistently uphold that education is a basic right. Agencies stress that access to learning is critical for gender equality, social stability, and economic progress.

In Afghanistan, however, the situation remains dire. Since the Taliban regained control, millions of girls have been barred from schools and universities, limiting their futures and the country’s long-term development.

UN agencies, including UNESCO and UNICEF, highlight that the lack of access to education for adolescent girls contributes to a nationwide learning crisis, impacting literacy, vocational skills, and health outcomes.

UN Women calls on the international community to intervene, provide financial and technical support, and ensure safe, inclusive, and consistent access to education for Afghan girls and women.

The agency insists that guaranteeing education for girls is essential not only for personal growth but also for strengthening communities, promoting human rights, and securing Afghanistan’s future stability.

Global cooperation and immediate policy measures are crucial to safeguard Afghan girls’ education, protect their rights, and uphold the principle that learning is a fundamental human entitlement.

UN Women: Girls’ Education a Fundamental Right, Not a Privilege
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UN Deputy Chief and Muttaqi Hold Talks on the Doha Process in Kabul

January 25, 2026
Khaama Press

Rosemary DiCarlo, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, held talks in Kabul on Saturday with Amir Khan Muttaqi on the Doha process.

Rosemary DiCarlo, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, met Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Saturday during her official visit to Kabul.

According to a Taliban Foreign Ministry statement, the meeting included extensive discussions on engagement, coordination mechanisms, and upcoming meetings linked to the UN-led Doha process on Afghanistan.

These talks come as the Doha process remains the main international framework for engagement with Afghanistan, while continuing to face criticism over its limited inclusivity and political scope.

At the same time, Afghanistan is grappling with a deep economic crisis and severe financial restrictions, which Taliban officials repeatedly describe as major obstacles to improving living conditions nationwide.

During the meeting, Amir Khan Muttaqi urged the United Nations to help lift banking sanctions on Afghanistan and to facilitate the release of frozen assets belonging to the country’s central bank.

For her part, Rosemary DiCarlo emphasized continued cooperation through the Doha process working groups, describing sustained dialogue as beneficial for all stakeholders involved in Afghanistan’s future.

The United Nations has already established technical working groups on counter-narcotics and economic coordination under the Doha framework, and has signaled plans to convene a fourth Doha meeting.

However, UN efforts to promote meaningful and inclusive dialogue involving Taliban authorities, regional actors, women, civil society, and political opponents continue to face serious challenges.

UN Deputy Chief and Muttaqi Hold Talks on the Doha Process in Kabul
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Heavy snow and rainfall kill 61, injure 110 over 3 days in Afghanistan, authorities say

January 25, 2026

By ABDUL QAHAR AFGHAN

Associated Press
January 24, 2026

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Heavy snow and rainfall over the past three days have killed more than 60 people and injured over 100 across Afghanistan, the country’s disaster management authority said Saturday, as authorities in the impoverished country struggled to open roads and gain access to cut-off villages.

National Disaster Management Authority spokesman Yousaf Hammad said 61 people had died and 110 were injured, while 458 homes had been completely or partially destroyed and hundreds of animals had died in 15 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces. The numbers, he said, could change as authorities gathered more information from the provinces.

Afghanistan is highly vulnerable to extreme weather events, with snow and heavy rain that triggers flash floods often killing dozens, or even hundreds, of people at a time. In 2024, more than 300 people died in springtime flash floods.

Decades of conflict coupled with poor infrastructure, a struggling economy, deforestation and the intensifying effects of climate change have amplified the impact of such disasters, particularly in remote areas where many homes are built of mud and offer limited protection against sudden deluges or heavy snowfall.

The country’s eastern provinces are also still struggling to recover from devastating earthquakes that struck last year, in late August and again in November, destroying villages and killing more than 2,200 people.

Those displaced by the quakes are particularly vulnerable to the extreme cold and bad weather conditions. In December, UNICEF said an estimated 270,000 children in the areas affected by the quakes were at “severe risk of life-threatening diseases related to the cold.”

Earlier this month, the United Nations said Afghanistan would “remain one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises in 2026.” The U.N. and its humanitarian partners launched a $1.7 billion appeal to assist nearly 18 million people in urgent need in the country.

 

Heavy snow and rainfall kill 61, injure 110 over 3 days in Afghanistan, authorities say
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An Unlikely Source of Crypto Innovation: Afghanistan

January 25, 2026
By Aryn Baker

The New York Times

The repressive Taliban government is suspicious of the internet. But a start-up in the country is building blockchain-based tools to transform humanitarian aid.

At a bustling money changer in northwestern Syria, a 46-year-old farmer gripped a plastic card like a lifeline. She had never heard of cryptocurrency, but the card held $500 of it to help restart her farm after nearly 14 years of civil war.

As a teller confirmed the total and cashed out the account, the farmer, Hala Mahmoud Almahmoud, smiled with relief and paused to give thanks. Where had such technology come from, she asked.

The answer surprised her: Afghanistan.

Blockchain-based cash transfers are not the kind of innovation that many people would expect from a country better known for its repressive Taliban leadership, which views the internet with suspicion. But in a nation that has largely turned its back on the world, an Afghan start-up is building tools that it hopes will transform how humanitarian aid is delivered in countries shattered by conflict.

“We’ve lived through these challenges ourselves, so we know how to develop an approach that works,” said Zakia Hussaini, 26, a programmer at the start-up, HesabPay, which designed the technology driving Ms. Almahmoud’s card.

An early proponent of the platform was the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The agency uses it to support more than 86,000 families in Afghanistan in one of the biggest public blockchain aid initiatives in the world. Mercy Corps, which donated the funds to Ms. Almahmoud, worked with HesabPay to expand its reach to include Syria, and programs for Sudan and Haiti are in development.

In Syria, getting money from abroad can be complicated. Cash is scarce, international banks steer clear of the country and remittance firms like Western Union can charge as much as 10 percent in transfer fees. HesabPay allows organizations like Mercy Corps to sidestep those roadblocks.

Sanzar Kakar, the Afghan American entrepreneur behind HesabPay, used to run Afghanistan’s leading payroll processor. But the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 and the Taliban’s return set off a financial collapse. Sanctions put a halt to international transfers, and the central bank unraveled.

To address the country’s increasing financial insecurity, Mr. Kakar turned to blockchain. He built HesabPay, named after the local word for “account,” as a phone-based app that enabled instant transfers from one digital wallet to another, bypassing banks and the Taliban government. The Afghan government has since granted his business a license to operate officially as a financial institution, he said.

Today, the platform has more than 650,000 wallets in Afghanistan, of which about 50,000 are in regular use, moving approximately $60 million a month in stablecoins backed by the afghani, Afghanistan’s currency.

Since February 2025, the U.N. has used HesabPay to deliver nearly $25 million via 80,000 digital wallets to vulnerable Afghans returning home, said Carmen Hett, the corporate treasurer of the U.N. refugee agency. “This helps reduce transaction fees, waiting periods and enhance traceability, real-time monitoring and accountability of transactions,” she said.

It is not surprising that organizations like Mercy Corps and the United Nations are turning to blockchain-based money transfers to deliver aid, said Ric Shreves, an expert in decentralized finance solutions and the president of the Decentralized Cooperation Foundation. For such organizations, he said, “it’s almost all upsides, compared to the way aid has traditionally been delivered.”

But there are still risks, he said, especially when the payment systems are based on local-currency stablecoins, as they are in Afghanistan. (In Syria, the cryptocurrency in HesabPay wallets is backed by the U.S. dollar, a more stable option.) Just as wallets can be shut down for interacting with sanctioned individuals, they can also theoretically be shut down by a country’s central bank for political reasons.

“When we provide people with a nonphysical means of doing transactions, that also means there’s a possibility that those transactions could be blocked through technological means,” Mr. Shreves said. Digital currencies are demonstrably safer than cash, he added, but they still cannot be stashed under a mattress.

In recent years, aid groups have increasingly turned to cash as a fast and dignified form of assistance. But cash has a flaw: It is hard to track. Donors want proof that their money reaches the right hands. Since President Trump slashed U.S. foreign assistance early last year, groups like Mercy Corps have come under even more pressure to demonstrate their impact and integrity.

That is where blockchain comes in, creating a digital trail that records exactly how much was sent, to whom, and where it was spent. That mix of speed and accountability could be “a way to win back trust from those who have come to doubt the usefulness of aid,” said Scott Onder, Mercy Corps’s chief investment officer.

HesabPay comes with additional safeguards, like a real-time dashboard that tracks wallet activity and cross-checks it against international compliance databases. The company says the system is designed to detect illicit activity like terrorist financing, money laundering and online scams, and to raise an alert the moment suspicious transactions appear. For aid donors, it offers a level of oversight rarely possible in fragile states.

During a recent online demonstration, Nigel Pont, the company’s senior adviser for humanitarian affairs, clicked on a purple dot representing a HesabPay agent in Afghanistan. Dozens of pale blue beneficiary wallets fanned out, showing recent transfers. Another click revealed where the money went next. Then one wallet pulsed red with a potential scam alert — an awkward moment in a live demo, but exactly the kind of risk the system is built to expose.

“From an aid donor perspective, that’s immensely valuable,” said Mr. Pont, who previously served as chief strategy officer at Mercy Corps. “A system that can automatically flag a fraud risk means you can check it out immediately instead of waiting six months for a report that somebody stole 20 grand.” No system is entirely corruption-proof, he conceded, but then again, a bag of cash is not, either.

Abdul Halim Hasan, 22, who was waiting in the same line as Ms. Almahmoud for his turn at the money changer in Syria, said he imagined that one day he could use HesabPay as a regular bank account, receiving funds, making payments and saving money safely. But for the moment, it was enough that his HesabPay card allowed him to gain access to money he needed to restart his life after war.

“I certainly want to see this method spread in Syria,” he said.

Leen Rihawi contributed reporting.

An Unlikely Source of Crypto Innovation: Afghanistan
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Donald Trump walks back comments about UK soldiers in Afghanistan

January 25, 2026

Donald Trump has said UK soldiers who fought in Afghanistan were “among the greatest of all warriors” after previously drawing criticism for his claims that Nato troops stayed away from the frontlines during the conflict.

In a post on social media on Saturday, the US president said: “The great and very brave soldiers of the United Kingdom will always be with the United States of America.

“In Afghanistan, 457 died, many were badly injured, and they were among the greatest of all warriors.

“It’s a bond too strong to ever be broken. The UK military, with tremendous heart and soul, is second to none (except for the USA). We love you all, and always will!”

The post came a day after Trump was criticised for his remarks that Nato allied troops “stayed a little off the frontlines” in Afghanistan.

Keir Starmer raised the comments directly with the US president in a conversation on Saturday, No 10 said.

A Downing Street spokesperson said: “The prime minister spoke to the president of the United States, Donald Trump, this afternoon.

“The prime minister raised the brave and heroic British and American soldiers who fought side by side in Afghanistan, many of whom never returned home. We must never forget their sacrifice, he said.

“As Ukraine approaches the fourth year of war since Russia’s full-scale invasion, the leaders agreed on the need to see progress towards a sustainable ceasefire.

“Whilst diplomatic efforts continue, the prime minister reiterated that international partners must continue to support Ukraine in its defence against [Vladimir] Putin’s barbaric attacks.

“The leaders also discussed the need for bolstered security in the Arctic, and the prime minister said it was an absolute priority for his government.

“The leaders discussed the importance of the UK-US relationship, which continues to stand the test of time. They agreed to speak soon.”

Also on Saturday, Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, joined criticism of Trump’s comments on the role of non-US Nato troops in Afghanistan, defending the memory of Italian soldiers killed and wounded there.

“The Italian government was astonished to hear President Trump’s statement claiming that Nato allies ‘fell behind’ during operations in Afghanistan,” Meloni posted on X.

During the nearly 20 years of Nato operations in Afghanistan, she said, “our nation paid a cost that is beyond dispute: 53 Italian soldiers killed and more than 700 wounded”.

“For this reason, statements that downplay the contribution of Nato countries in Afghanistan are unacceptable, especially when they come from an allied Nation,” she added.

Meloni noted that the US had invoked article 5 of the North Atlantic treaty after the 11 September 2001 attacks on the country that killed 3,000 people, in effect launching the Afghanistan campaign.

Article 5 requires Nato member states to defend any of their number who come under attack.

Meloni acknowledged the strong ties between Italy and the US.

“But friendship requires respect, a fundamental condition for continuing to ensure the solidarity at the core of the Atlantic Alliance,” she added.

Earlier on Saturday, Italy’s foreign minister also paid tribute to Italy’s dead and wounded in Afghanistan in an online post.

AFP contributed to this report

Donald Trump walks back comments about UK soldiers in Afghanistan
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Afghanistan Skips ECO Disaster Risk Meeting in Pakistan

January 22, 2026
Mitra Majeedy
Journalist
Tolo News
21 Jan 2026

Pakistan is hosting a regional gathering today and tomorrow, bringing together senior officials from ECO member countries

ECO Meeting Focuses on Reducing Risks of Natural Disasters

Pakistan is hosting a regional gathering today and tomorrow, bringing together senior officials from ECO member countries, as well as representatives from the ECO Secretariat and regional and international organizations, to discuss ways to reduce the risks posed by natural disasters.

Representatives from several countries, including Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan have been invited to this two-day meeting.

Seyed Shah Guharpour, a university professor and environmental expert, said: “It’s a good opportunity for a vulnerable country to directly voice its concerns to the participants of the meeting.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate stated that although Afghanistan was invited, it has been decided that no Afghan representative will attend the meeting.

According to the ministry, participation in the meeting was not assessed as beneficial in terms of interests and outcomes.

Seyed Mohammad Suleimankhel, an environmental expert, said: “Afghanistan is among the countries most affected by natural or climate-related disasters, and this meeting in Pakistan highlights many similarities between Afghanistan and neighboring countries in terms of geography and shared natural disasters. Therefore, Afghanistan’s presence was important.”

This comes as Afghanistan has witnessed several major natural events this year, including successive floods in the early months and deadly earthquakes in Kunar and Samangan.

Afghanistan Skips ECO Disaster Risk Meeting in Pakistan
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Ban on Medicine Imports From Pakistan to Take Effect in 20 Days

January 22, 2026
Khaama Press

Authorities say medicine imports from Pakistan will be banned after February 9, triggering price spikes and concerns over drug supplies nationwide.

The Taliban finance ministry said on Wednesday that a ban on importing medicines from Pakistan will take effect after February 9, ending customs clearance at all border points.

In a statement, the ministry urged traders and pharmaceutical importers to finalize all transactions and documentation within the remaining 19-day grace period.

Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban deputy prime minister for economic affairs, said earlier that medicine imports from Pakistan would be suspended for up to three months following tensions with Islamabad.

Officials said traders should seek alternative supply routes to meet domestic demand, but market reactions have been swift, with medicine prices rising sharply across the country.

Taliban statistics show healthcare and treatment costs have increased by more than 17 percent since the import ban was announced, adding pressure on households.

Afghanistan relies heavily on imported medicines, with Pakistan long serving as a key supplier due to geographic proximity and established trade routes.

Recent border closures and political frictions between the Taliban and Pakistan have disrupted trade flows, affecting food, fuel and medical supplies.

Economists warn that prolonged restrictions could worsen shortages and further inflate healthcare costs, particularly for low-income families.

Aid groups and health experts are calling for exemptions or alternative arrangements to ensure continued access to essential medicines and prevent a wider public health crisis.

Ban on Medicine Imports From Pakistan to Take Effect in 20 Days
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221,000 Earthquake Survivors in Eastern Afghanistan Still Need Urgent Aid

January 22, 2026
Khaama Press

The UN says 221,000 survivors of eastern Afghanistan’s recent earthquake remain in urgent need of humanitarian assistance amid funding and logistical challenges.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported on Wednesday that 221,000 people affected by the eastern Afghanistan earthquake still require immediate aid. A total of 499,000 were impacted by the disaster, according to the UN agency.

Despite ongoing relief efforts, response operations have been hampered by severe funding shortages. Only $38 million of the $111.5 million needed for emergency response has been received so far. Many families remain without adequate shelter and essential supplies.

Women and girls face heightened risks, as humanitarian access to vulnerable populations remains limited. Disruptions to aid delivery have compounded these challenges, leaving thousands at increased risk of exposure and deprivation.

Rising tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan have further complicated the crisis. Islamabad has accelerated the deportation of Afghan migrants, while the closure of border crossings has disrupted trade and restricted the movement of relief supplies.

Intermittent internet shutdowns in Afghanistan over the past two days have also hampered communication and coordination among humanitarian agencies, delaying aid distribution and affecting emergency response efforts.

Humanitarian officials warn that without additional funding and access, the situation could worsen, leaving tens of thousands of earthquake survivors without basic necessities and protection.

Aid agencies continue to call on the international community to provide resources and support, stressing that timely assistance is critical to prevent further suffering among the affected populations.

221,000 Earthquake Survivors in Eastern Afghanistan Still Need Urgent Aid
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Trump criticizes Afghanistan exit, says leaving Bagram was a mistake

January 22, 2026
Khaama Press

US President Donald Trump renewed criticism of the Afghanistan withdrawal, calling it America’s weakest moment and blaming Biden for deadly Kabul airport chaos.

Donald Trump said the withdrawal from Afghanistan represented the weakest point in US history, citing the killing of 13 American soldiers in the Kabul airport bombing.

Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said his administration had also planned to leave Afghanistan but would have done so with strength and dignity.

He claimed that during his presidency the United States projected power, arguing that hostile groups refrained from acting against American forces.

Trump said the US should never have abandoned Bagram Air Base, describing it as a major strategic military installation with vast surrounding territory.

He also criticized the amount of US military equipment left behind, calling it shameful that the Taliban now display American gear in public parades.

The US withdrawal in August 2021 marked the end of America’s longest war after nearly two decades of military presence in Afghanistan.

The chaotic exit followed the rapid collapse of the Afghanistan government, as Taliban forces swept into Kabul amid widespread confusion and panic.

Trump has repeatedly attacked former President Joe Biden over the withdrawal, both before and after returning to the White House, making it a central political issue.

US Defense Department reports estimate that more than $7 billion worth of American military equipment remained in Afghanistan, some of which the Taliban have since repaired and reused.

Trump criticizes Afghanistan exit, says leaving Bagram was a mistake
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UN Rapporteur Urges Recognition of Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan

January 22, 2026
Khaama Press

UN special rapporteur Richard Bennett called for global backing to recognize gender apartheid in Afghanistan as a crime under international law.

Richard Bennett, the UN Human Rights Council’s special rapporteur for Afghanistan, on Wednesday urged the international community to support formal recognition of gender apartheid in the country.

Bennett referred to a call by UN experts to recognize gender apartheid within a proposed Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Humanity, stressing the need for legal accountability.

The United Nations is currently holding meetings to draft the new convention, which aims to strengthen international mechanisms to prevent and punish crimes against humanity.

UN experts said meaningful participation by Afghan women and gender justice activists must be guaranteed in upcoming negotiations on the treaty, warning that exclusion would undermine its credibility.

They emphasized that the voices of Afghan women are not merely testimonial, but a primary and reliable source for documenting ongoing repression and crimes.

Gender-based restrictions imposed in Afghanistan have drawn widespread international criticism, with women barred from education, employment, and public life under sweeping decrees.

Human rights groups say these policies amount to systematic discrimination that meets the threshold of gender apartheid under international legal definitions.

Nasir Ahmad Faiq, Afghanistan’s acting permanent representative to the United Nations, also urged recognition of gender apartheid during the UN meeting, aligning Kabul’s UN mission with the experts’ call.

Analysts say formal recognition could increase pressure for accountability and pave the way for stronger legal action against those responsible for widespread rights violations.

UN Rapporteur Urges Recognition of Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan
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