This will be the fourth Security Council meeting on Afghanistan in 2024.
The United Nations Security Council has stated that the head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) will present a quarterly report on the situation in Afghanistan at a meeting of the Security Council scheduled for December 12.
Additionally, the Chair of the Afghanistan Sanctions Committee and an official from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) are expected to provide further explanations about the situation in Afghanistan to the Security Council members during the meeting.
According to the UN Security Council report: “In December, the Security Council will convene for its quarterly open briefing on Afghanistan. Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) Roza Otunbayeva; Ambassador Andrés Montalvo Sosa (Ecuador) in his capacity as the chair of the 1988 Afghanistan Sanctions Committee; an official from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA); and a representative of civil society are expected to brief.”
This will be the fourth Security Council meeting on Afghanistan in 2024.
Although the Islamic Emirate has not yet commented on the December 12 Security Council meeting, it had previously asked UNAMA to consider the realities of Afghanistan in its reports on the country’s situation.
“These Security Council sessions on Afghanistan are regular meetings that occur routinely. The new report will have the same content and format as previous reports, and no joint decisions or resolutions will be made about Afghanistan,” said Fazl Rahman Orya, a political analyst.
“There is no doubt that the Islamic Emirate has made achievements over the past three years, but it also has shortcomings that must be acknowledged. The Islamic Emirate should work to eliminate the negative points raised by the UN Security Council in its reports,” said Salim Paigir, another political analyst.
Earlier, in the September Security Council meeting, Roza Otunbayeva, head of UNAMA, said that international restrictions have made governance difficult in Afghanistan and isolated the country from the global community.
A man gazing into the distance at a drug treatment centre in Kabul, Afghanistan.
The latest report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reveals significant gaps in Afghanistan’s ability to address substance use disorders, highlighting urgent issues with access, resources, and infrastructure.
While services are operational in 32 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces, systemic barriers – especially for women – severely limit access to care.
Gender disparities and strained resources
The report found that only 17 per cent of the 82 operational facilities cater exclusively to women, and services for female patients are accessible in just over a third of provinces, leaving many women without adequate care.
The survey also highlights acute shortages of qualified medical personnel, essential supplies, and infrastructure funding.
Over 72 per cent of centres operate at or near full capacity, yet many lack basic resources such as naloxone, a life-saving medication for opioid overdoses.
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Additionally, community-based care, a more accessible alternative to residential treatment, remains underdeveloped. Most facilities rely on resource-intensive residential models, disproportionately affecting rural populations who are underserved.
A changing drug landscape
Afghanistan is also experiencing a troubling shift in drug trends.
While opiates such as heroin and opium remain the leading substances driving treatment admissions, the use of synthetic drugs like methamphetamine is rising rapidly.
Methamphetamine-related admissions now account for a growing portion of cases, complicating treatment needs and straining already limited resources.
This shift is occurring alongside a decline in opium production, which in 2024 totalled 433 tonnes – a 30 per cent increase from 2023, but still 93 per cent below 2022 levels, when the de facto authorities began enforcing a nationwide drug ban.
The report warns that without targeted interventions, the proliferation of synthetic drugs could deepen Afghanistan’s public health crisis.
Coordinated action needed
The findings call for urgent collaboration between Afghanistan’s de facto authorities and the international community to address these challenges.
“International efforts must be coordinated to ensure that this decline is not replaced with production of dangerous synthetic drugs such as methamphetamine within Afghanistan or the wider region,” said Ghada Waly, Executive Director of UNODC.
Expanding gender-sensitive services, increasing community-based care options, and addressing critical resource gaps are among the top priorities.
Investment in infrastructure, medical supplies, and workforce training is also essential to improve the quality and accessibility of treatment services across the country.
Afghanistan: Surge in synthetic drugs could threaten public health
The World Food Program (WFP) has warned of a worsening food crisis in Afghanistan as the winter season approaches, stating that one-quarter of the population in the country is unable to afford enough food to sustain their lives.
In a report released on Sunday, December 1st, the WFP mentioned that one in every four families in Afghanistan is unable to secure adequate food for their needs.
The report highlights that with the arrival of winter, millions of people in Afghanistan are facing a food crisis, and one-quarter of the population cannot meet their basic food requirements to survive.
The WFP has stressed that to continue its operations in Afghanistan, including providing assistance to the most vulnerable families, it will need $680 million for the next six months.
The organization further emphasized that, in the first half of this year, it has provided food aid to 1 million people monthly, while 11 million others have been excluded from receiving this vital support.
Yesterday, the WFP also announced that it has provided cash and food assistance to 10.5 million people across Afghanistan.
Earlier, UN-related agencies had reported that more than 23 million people in Afghanistan are in need of humanitarian assistance in the current year.
The food crisis in Afghanistan continues to escalate, with millions of people struggling to meet their basic nutritional needs. The World Food Program’s ongoing efforts to support vulnerable populations remain critical, but more international support and funding are urgently needed to alleviate the situation.
As winter intensifies, it is vital for the global community to prioritize humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan, ensuring that food aid reaches those most in need and helps prevent further suffering.
Winter Crisis in Afghanistan: One-Quarter of population unable to access sufficient food, warns WFP
Kam Air, an Afghanistan’s airline, has announced that it will begin flights between Kabul and Doha starting on December 17.
On Sunday, December 1st, the airline stated in a statement that it will launch a new weekly route between Kabul and Doha, with flights scheduled every Tuesday.
Previously, the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation had announced that it had signed an agreement with Qatar to begin direct flights between Afghanistan and Qatar.
In recent months, several airlines have resumed their flights to Afghanistan, signaling a gradual reopening of air travel in the region country.
Iran Air Tours also recently announced the resumption of flights between Kabul and Tehran.
The resumption of flights between Kabul and Doha marks a positive step in rebuilding Afghanistan’s air travel sector. As more international airlines restore their routes, the country’s connectivity to the outside world continues to improve.
Kam Air to launch weekly Kabul-Doha flights starting December 17
The committee intends to visit Afghanistan, Mozambique, New Zealand, Peru, Serbia, Burundi, France, and Mexico.
The UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture has announced plans to visit several countries, including Afghanistan, in 2025.
The committee intends to visit Afghanistan, Mozambique, New Zealand, Peru, Serbia, Burundi, France, and Mexico.
In a statement, the committee said: “The UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) has announced and confirmed plans to visit Mozambique, New Zealand, Peru, Serbia, Afghanistan, Burundi, France, and Mexico at the conclusion of its latest session.”
Yousuf Amin Zazai, a political affairs analyst, highlighted the significance of these visits: “Human rights issues, such as citizens’ rights, prison conditions, and case reviews, are matters the government must allow to present a true picture of Afghanistan to the world.”
The Islamic Emirate has not yet commented on the committee’s planned visit to Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, some political analysts consider these visits important and emphasize the need to present a realistic picture of Afghanistan’s situation.
“If the objectives of these organizations are realistic, closely examining Afghanistan’s human, social, and cultural rights situation can be commendable, and the public will welcome such efforts,” said Abdul Jabbar Akbari, another political analyst.
The Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture is one of the eight UN committees related to human rights treaties.
All member states of the UN Convention Against Torture are required to submit regular reports on how they are implementing input from this committee.
UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture to Visit Afghanistan
Destitute Afghan women arrested for begging under draconian new Taliban laws have spoken of “brutal” rapes and beatings in detention.
Over the past few months, many women said they had been targeted by Taliban officials and detained under anti-begging laws passed this year. While in prison, they claim they were subjected to sexual abuse, torture and forced labour, and witnessed children being beaten and abused.
All the women said they had no other option to begging on the streets for money and food for their children after being unable to find paid work.
Since the Taliban took power in August 2021, women have been barred from most paid work, which has seen levels of destitution, especially among female-led households, increase across the country.
In May, the Taliban passed new laws prohibiting “healthy people” from begging on the streets if they had enough money on them to pay for one day’s food.
A commission was established to register beggars and categorise them as “professional”, “destitute” or “organised”, which involves taking their biometric data and fingerprints. According to Taliban officials, nearly 60,000 beggars have already been “rounded up” in Kabul alone.
Zahra*, a 32-year-old mother of three, said she was forced to move to Kabul and beg on the streets for food when her husband, who was in the national army of the former government, disappeared after the Taliban took power in August 2021.
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“I went to the neighbourhood councillor and told him I was a widow, asking for help to feed my three kids,” she said. “He said there was no help and told me to sit by the bakery [and] maybe someone would give me something.”
Zahra said she was unaware of the Taliban’s anti-begging laws until she was arrested.
“A Taliban car stopped near the bakery. They took my son by force and told me to get in the vehicle,” she said. Zahra claimed she spent three days and nights in a Taliban prison and that initially she was made to cook, clean and do laundry for the men working there.
She was then told she would be fingerprinted and have her biometric details recorded. When she resisted, she was beaten until she was left unconscious. She said she was then raped.
“[Since being released] I’ve thought about ending my life several times, but my children hold me back,” she said. “I wondered who would feed them if I weren’t here.
“Who can I complain to? No one will care, and I’m afraid they’d arrest me again if I spoke up. For my life and my children’s safety, I can’t say anything.”
Another woman, Parwana*, said she was detained while begging in Kabul in October with her four-year-old daughter after her husband abandoned them. She said she was taken to Badam Bagh prison and held for 15 days.
“They brought in everyone, even young children who polished shoes on the streets,” she said. “They’d tell us women why don’t we get married, beat us, and make us clean and wash dishes.”
Parwana also said she, along with another two women, was raped while in detention and that the attack had left her traumatised and depressed.
Along with multiple reports of rape and torture of women arrested under the anti-begging laws, former detainees also told the Afghan news outlet Zan Times that they witnessed the abuse of young children in prison, with one woman alleging that two children were beaten to death while she was in detention.
“No one dared speak,” she said. “If we spoke up, they’d beat us and call us shameless. Watching those children die before my eyes is something I’ll never forget.”
The death of detainees rounded up under anti-begging laws is factored into the wording of the Taliban’s new law, in which Article 25 states: “If a beggar dies while in custody and has no relatives or if the family refuses to collect the body, the municipal officials will handle the burial.”
Under the new laws, those classed as “destitute” are legally entitled to financial assistance after their release, but none of the women said they had received any help.
Parwana said that since her release she had been too afraid to beg for food again and instead relied on her neighbours for handouts.
“These days, I go door to door in my neighbourhood, collecting stale, dry bread. I have no other choice,” she said. “The Taliban are brutal and oppressive but where can I go to complain about them? We are alone.”
The Taliban authorities did not reply to multiple requests for a response.
*Names have been changed to protect the identity of the interviewees and writer
Women arrested by Taliban for begging report rape and killings in Afghan jails
The International Criminal Court (ICC) confirmed that it has received a case regarding human rights violations against women in Afghanistan, submitted by six countries.
The six countries—Chile, Costa Rica, Spain, France, Luxembourg, and Mexico—referred the case to the ICC on November 29, 2024. This is in response to the worsening human rights situation, particularly for women and girls in Afghanistan.
The ICC’s Chief Prosecutor welcomed the referral, stating that his office’s investigations into human rights violations in Afghanistan have made significant progress and the results will be announced soon.
The six countries expressed deep concern over the severe human rights situation in Afghanistan, particularly the violations against women and girls since the Taliban’s takeover in 2021.
Prosecutor Karim Khan confirmed that his office has already launched investigations into the alleged crimes in Afghanistan, including human rights violations against women, and will continue these efforts.
The Prosecutor emphasized that investigations have been independent, impartial, and focused on allegations of gender-based discrimination and harassment.
The ICC’s investigation into human rights violations in Afghanistan reflects its broader commitment to holding accountable those responsible for gender-based crimes, including crimes against humanity and gender-based harassment.
The ICC’s ongoing work in Afghanistan is crucial in ensuring accountability for gender-based violence. The Prosecutor has called on all countries, especially those party to the Rome Statute, to continue their support and provide necessary resources for the investigations.
ICC Prosecutor: Significant progress in Gender Discrimination Investigation in Afghanistan
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, has spoken out against the restrictive measures imposed by the Taliban on women and girls in Afghanistan, stating that justice and equality for Afghanistan’s women and girls are non-negotiable.
In a statement made on Friday, November 29, as part of the 16-day campaign to eliminate violence against women, Volker Turk highlighted the severe erosion of human rights for women in Afghanistan over the past three years.
Turk pointed to the Taliban’s restrictions on education and employment for women, stating that these actions have effectively excluded women and girls from public life, turning them into “virtual prisoners in their homes.”
He emphasized that the current treatment of women constitutes systematic gender-based harassment. He also warned that these bans would have “catastrophic” intergenerational effects on the country’s future, particularly in terms of peace and sustainable development.
The High Commissioner stressed the importance of amplifying the voices of Afghanistan’s women and girls by any means possible, including through investigations by the International Criminal Court regarding gender-based violence and discussions on gender apartheid.
Volker Turk also expressed full support for initiatives aimed at exploring new ideas and approaches to addressing gender justice and accountability. He called for decisive actions by the Taliban to fulfill their non-negotiable human rights commitments.
The situation in Afghanistan remains dire for women and girls under the Taliban’s rule. The international community, including the UN, continues to call for urgent reforms and accountability to restore basic human rights, ensuring that the voices of Afghan women are heard and their rights fully upheld.
The path to justice and equality remains critical for Afghanistan’s future stability and development.
UN Commissioner: Justice for women and girls in Afghanistan is non-negotiable
Afghans living abroad are flocking back to visit relatives for the first time since the Taliban takeover. Severe restrictions on women are not top of mind.
KABUL — For the first time since the Taliban takeover three years ago, Afghans living outside the country have begun flocking back to their homeland, usually to visit relatives who have remained in Afghanistan.
Upon their return, few seem preoccupied by the Taliban’s increasingly draconian restrictions on women — including bans on women going to university and school above sixth grade — or by the reluctance of many local women to leave their homes out of fear of encountering the morality police, according to interviews with residents and visitors.
Instead, many of the visitors, carrying foreign passports or visas, marvel about the sense of security and the construction of new roads under Taliban rule. They post photos of their favorite Afghan dishes, discuss business plans and shop in the Kabul airport’s new duty-free store.
During a recent family trip to Kabul — her first since the Taliban takeover three years ago after years of war — Zahra, 34, was pleasantly surprised. “There’s freedom now,” said Zahra, an Afghan who lives in London. She indulged herself in shopping for gold jewelry and is already planning another trip to Afghanistan next year.
For Afghan women who have had to live under Taliban rule, the enthusiasm of visiting relatives can be puzzling and, increasingly, frustrating.
The Taliban further tightened its restrictions three months ago, even banning women from raising their voices in public. But visitors often spend so much time at relatives’ homes that the absence of women in many public spaces can go unnoticed, some hosting families said in interviews. Many visitors also spend their time primarily in more affluent parts of Kabul, where enforcement by the morality police remains relatively rare.
Some of the returning Afghans actually appear drawn to life under the Taliban because their own experiences in the West have proved to be more challenging than expected.
“The quality of life in Afghanistan, especially under the Taliban, is better than in Germany,” said Ali, a 65-year-old Afghan German who recently visited the country and reconnected with a conservative culture he says he feels closer to. Like others interviewed for this story, he spoke on the condition that only his first name be published for fear of drawing unwanted scrutiny.
Some Afghan women say they no longer try to convince their cousins, uncles or aunts about how dire the situation has become, including the heightened efforts by the morality police, reinforced by many newly hired officers, to look for women who violate the regime’s strict hijab mandate and other religious rules.
When her female cousins visited from Europe this year for the first time since the Taliban took power, Sadia, 24, said she struggled. “I tried to explain to them how the Taliban has destroyed all the dreams I worked so hard to achieve,” she recalled. “They kept saying how happy they are here, and how safe it is now. These are the things that impact them directly.”
Afghan culture dictates that relatives and guests be treated with respect, so Sadia — like others in similar situations — eventually gave up, she said.
“But what value does safety have when you lose all your dreams for it?” she asked.
Trendy dining and fine shopping
On arrival, Kabul can be surprising for those who have been away.
Rather than the eerily empty city that locals described to their relatives abroad in the early days of Taliban rule, visitors now find a crowded capital where dismantled blast walls have revealed pomegranate trees along the roads. Most residents struggle to make a living, but anyone who can afford it is able to choose among an array of trendy restaurants. Many are so empty that each guest has a dedicated waiter.
When wide-eyed customers show up at Mirwais Sarmastzada’s furniture store, he knows they’re back in the country for the first time in years or decades. “Many are stunned to see such high-quality beds produced here in Afghanistan,” Sarmastzada said. He said Afghans from abroad now account for 3 in 4 customers, and their number is growing.
The Taliban-run government has not released figures on how many foreign Afghans have visited the country since 2021, but some traders say that rising interest from abroad is offsetting weak domestic demand.
None of the people interviewed for this story said they intend to return to Afghanistan permanently. Most come back for weddings, to which Afghan families traditionally invite hundreds of relatives and guests. Others are here for extended family reunions, which last weeks and even months, or to explore business opportunities.
Over French breakfast or Turkish coffee, returning Afghans can be overheard discussing plans for the future. Habib Rahman, a 60-year-old engineer who moved to Germany over four decades ago, said he was unaware of the nightly blasts and gunshots that can be heard in central Kabul these days and that are frequently carried out by anti-Taliban groups. He feels just as safe in Kabul as in Europe, he said.
While sipping tea at a French restaurant, he recalled how he was among the many Afghans in Germany who feared the worst when the Taliban took over in August 2021. And he, like some other returnees, said he was disappointed by the newly promulgated rules, like the one banning women from raising their voices.
But also like many other visitors, his impressions are mostly positive. At most 5 percent of Afghans are unhappy, he said, based on his own conversations.
The darkest of times
For Qudsia, 53, it doesn’t feel that way. After the Taliban came to power, she said, she sometimes sought temporary refuge near a lake in western Kabul, away from the country’s new rulers.
But when she returned there with her family this month, morality police officers were waiting. They rushed toward her and asked her to leave immediately.
“Ever since I was born, there hasn’t been a darker time in this country,” she said, as she climbed back into her car.
Many women say they believe that hard-liners close to the Taliban leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, have entrenched themselves in power. Moderates have either failed to soften the regime’s edicts or were never serious about doing so, these woman say.
The Taliban does not deny that its grip has tightened since 2021. “The mixing of genders has been completely stopped,” Saif al-Rahman Khaybar, the spokesman for the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice that oversees the Taliban’s morality police, said in an interview in Kabul this month.
Khaybar said the rules apply to all Afghan Muslims, including returnees and visitors. “We haven’t encountered any challenges with them,” he said.
Some Afghan women say that visiting relatives are deceived by what appears to be lax enforcement and are falling for the Taliban strategy of enforcing the rules only intermittently and counting on fear to deliver compliance.
But at times, even visiting relatives face the severe reality. When an aunt of 23-year-old Beheshta recently returned to Kabul, she was initially happy — until she was scolded at a checkpoint for not fully covering her hair.
“After that, she rebooked her flight to leave sooner,” Beheshta said. “We don’t have that option.”
Lutfullah Qasimyar contributed to this report.
Women despair over Taliban rules, but many Afghan returnees don’t see it
Chile, Costa Rica, Spain, France, Luxembourg, and Mexico have referred the case of women’s rights violations in Afghanistan to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
These six countries called on the ICC prosecutor on Thursday to investigate the ongoing and systematic violations of the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile announced on Thursday, November 28, that due to the deteriorating conditions and the critical situation for women and girls in Afghanistan, the case has been referred to the ICC.
This highlights the international concern over the worsening human rights crisis in the country.
According to the report, the ICC prosecutor resumed investigations into Afghanistan in 2022, after they were paused in 2020 at the request of Afghan officials. This resumption emphasizes the urgency of addressing the ongoing human rights abuses in the country.
The six countries involved in the referral have specifically requested the ICC to focus on the situation of Afghan women and girls, who are facing constant and systematic violations of their rights. They have urged the prosecutor to consider the crimes committed against women and girls since the Taliban regained power in 2021.
The referral to the ICC marks a significant step in the international community’s response to the human rights violations in Afghanistan. If the investigations yield evidence of crimes against Afghan women and girls, it could lead to increased political and diplomatic pressure on the current administration, including potential international condemnation and sanctions.
The plight of Afghan women and girls has become a focal point of international concern. The restrictions on their basic rights, including access to education, work, and public life, have led to a severe humanitarian crisis.
The referral of this case to the ICC may not only lead to greater international scrutiny of the Taliban’s actions but could also pave the way for legal consequences for the leaders responsible for these widespread violations.
6 countries refer Afghanistan’s women’s rights violations to International Criminal Court
Afghanistan Peace Campaign
