UN Warns of ‘Lost Generation’ as 3.8 Million Girls Remain Out of School in Afghanistan

June 9, 2026

By Fidel Rahmati

Khaama Press

The United Nations has warned that Afghanistan risks creating a “lost generation” as nearly 3.8 million girls remain excluded from education under Taliban restrictions, while millions more face worsening humanitarian conditions, food insecurity and poverty.

Addressing the UN Security Council on Monday, Georgette Gagnon, acting head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), said an estimated 3.8 million girls aged between seven and 18 are currently out of school, including more than 2.6 million adolescent girls barred from secondary education.

Gagnon warned that approximately 250,000 additional girls are permanently excluded from secondary education every year, depriving the country of future talent and opportunities. She said the continued restrictions on women and girls will have long-term consequences for Afghanistan’s social and economic development.

The UN official noted that while Afghanistan has shown limited signs of economic stabilization, including modest growth and improved revenue collection, the gains remain fragile. She added that up to 2.8 million Afghans are expected to return from neighbouring countries this year, placing additional pressure on communities already struggling with unemployment, poverty and limited public services.

UNAMA also reported that Afghanistan remains one of the world’s largest humanitarian emergencies. According to the United Nations, about 21.9 million people—nearly 45 percent of the population—will require humanitarian assistance in 2026.

Edem Wosornu, director of crisis response at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told the Security Council that food insecurity and malnutrition are worsening across the country. She said 4.7 million people are at risk of severe food insecurity, while an estimated 3.7 million children are suffering from acute malnutrition.

Wosornu warned that humanitarian operations are being severely constrained by funding shortages. She said the UN’s $1.71 billion humanitarian appeal for Afghanistan this year has received only about 15 percent of the required funding, raising concerns that life-saving assistance programmes may be reduced.

UNAMA has repeatedly urged the Taliban to lift restrictions on women and girls, particularly bans on secondary and higher education, warning that such measures undermine Afghanistan’s future and deepen existing social and economic challenges.

The UN has also warned that recurring droughts, climate-related disasters, declining international aid and the mass return of Afghan migrants from neighbouring countries are compounding the humanitarian crisis. Aid agencies say millions of families continue to struggle to access food, healthcare, clean water and livelihoods.

Afghanistan remains one of only two countries in the world where girls are barred from secondary education. International organisations have repeatedly stressed that restoring women’s access to education and employment is essential for the country’s long-term stability, economic recovery and development.

UN Warns of ‘Lost Generation’ as 3.8 Million Girls Remain Out of School in Afghanistan
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Richard Bennett Calls for Accountability After Protest Crackdown in Herat

June 9, 2026
Khaama Press

Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, has called for accountability following reports that Taliban forces used force against protesters in Herat province.

In a statement posted on X on Tuesday, Bennett said he was concerned by reports of excessive force against demonstrators and stressed the need to respect freedom of expression, particularly for women and girls.

“Those responsible for violence must be held accountable,” Bennett said, urging authorities to de-escalate tensions and protect the rights of citizens to peaceful assembly.

Local sources said Taliban forces opened fire on residents gathered in Herat’s Jebrail area during a protest on Tuesday, leaving several people injured.

The incident comes amid growing tensions in Herat following reports that dozens of women and girls have been detained in recent days over alleged violations of the Taliban’s dress code.

The latest developments echo concerns raised in recent reports by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), which warned that restrictions on women and girls continue to deepen across the country. UNAMA has documented increasing limitations on freedom of movement, education, employment and participation in public life.

In its recent briefing to the UN Security Council, UNAMA also reported that about 3.8 million Afghan girls remain out of school, including more than 2.6 million adolescent girls. UN officials have warned that continued restrictions on women’s rights risk creating a “lost generation” and further isolating Afghanistan from the international community.

Richard Bennett Calls for Accountability After Protest Crackdown in Herat
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EU Commission Reaffirms Plans to Invite Islamic Emirate to Brussels

June 9, 2026
Mohammad Bashir Soltani, Reporter
Political Writer
Tolo News
07 JUNE 2026

In another recent move, the European Union has nominated Italian diplomat Nicola Bellomo as its new Chargé d’Affaires for Afghanistan.

Amid criticism over the invitation extended to a delegation of the Islamic Emirate to Brussels, a spokesperson for the European Commission says the institution is continuing to pursue plans to host representatives of Afghanistan’s current government.

Speaking at a press briefing, Markus Lammert said the European Commission is following a framework proposed by the interior ministers of 20 EU member states in its engagement with Afghanistan.

Markus Lammert, spokesperson for the European Commission, said: “The European Commission is acting on the basis of a framework that was guided and proposed by 20 member states. We are therefore carrying forward what the member states have asked us to do.”

In another recent move, the European Union has nominated Italian diplomat Nicola Bellomo as its new Chargé d’Affaires for Afghanistan.

In a statement, the EU said Bellomo will assume his duties after receiving the approval of the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” and completing the necessary administrative procedures.

Currently, Veronika Boskovic Pohar serves as the EU Chargé d’Affaires in Afghanistan, and Bellomo has been nominated to succeed her.

The EU statement said: “Bellomo Nicola has been nominated as Chargé d’Affaires a.i. He is currently serving as Head of Division for Pan-African Affairs in the EEAS and has previously held, among other posts, the position of EU Ambassador to the Republic of Rwanda.”

The Islamic Emirate has not yet commented on its discussions with the European Union. However, it had previously confirmed a visit by an EU delegation to Kabul for talks on Afghan migrants.

EU Commission Reaffirms Plans to Invite Islamic Emirate to Brussels
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Five Years On, Afghanistan’s UN Seat, Voting Rights Remain Uncertain

June 9, 2026
 Bibi Amina Hakimi
TOLOnews’ Reporter
8 June 2026

Prior to 2021, these dues were paid by the former Afghan government. Afghanistan’s outstanding debt has now exceeded $900,000.

Although nearly five years have passed since the Islamic Emirate returned to power in Afghanistan, the fate of the country’s permanent seat at the United Nations and its voting rights remain shrouded in uncertainty.

Afghanistan has been deprived of its voting rights in the United Nations General Assembly for nearly five years due to its failure to pay annual membership dues amounting to $200,000.

Prior to 2021, these dues were paid by the former Afghan government. Afghanistan’s outstanding debt has now exceeded $900,000.

Abdul Sadiq Hamidzoy, a political analyst, said: “Afghanistan holds an important geopolitical position in the region and should be able to exercise its voting rights. However, due to certain considerations and political rivalries, it has been deprived of this right, which is a great injustice to the Afghan people.”

Afghanistan’s permanent seat at the United Nations has not yet been assigned to the current authorities through the UN’s formal process, which is overseen by the Credentials Committee.

Officials of the Islamic Emirate have previously insisted that transferring Afghanistan’s UN seat to the Islamic Emirate is the legitimate right of the Afghan people.

Commenting on the issue, political analyst Sayed Akbar Agha said: “Whoever represents Afghanistan at the United Nations should be appointed by the Afghan government and maintain ties with it. In my view, anyone who is not connected to the Afghan government cannot represent Afghanistan and is not Afghanistan’s representative.”

Sayed Bilal Fatemi, an international relations analyst, also said: “When you are present there, you can express your views to all UN member states and maintain diplomatic relations. More importantly, when meetings are held on Afghanistan or international issues, you have the opportunity to present your position.”

The 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly is scheduled to begin on September 8 this year at UN headquarters in New York. The annual gathering brings together world leaders, senior government officials, and diplomats to discuss major global challenges and developments. However, it remains unclear whether a representative of the Islamic Emirate will be invited to attend the session.

Five Years On, Afghanistan’s UN Seat, Voting Rights Remain Uncertain
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More Than 400,000 Afghan Migrants Return From Pakistan in Four Months

June 9, 2026
Mitra Majeedy
Journalist
Tolo News
9 June 2026

According to the UNHCR official, around 5,000 Afghan migrants are returning to Afghanistan each day.

A number of Afghan migrants have criticized the continued deportation of Afghans from Pakistan, saying that harassment of Afghan nationals persists, including those who hold valid residency documents.

Zahir Bahand, a journalist in Pakistan, said: “Arrests by Pakistani police continue as before, and Afghan migrants are unable to move about freely. Their rights in Pakistan are being violated.”

Speaking to a Pakistani journalist, the spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Pakistan said that more than 400,000 Afghan migrants have returned to Afghanistan over the past four months.

Qaiser Afridi stated that more than 800,000 Afghan nationals holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards and 600,000 holding Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) are still living in Pakistan.

He added that more than 100,000 Afghans who arrived in Pakistan after the political changes of 2021 and have refugee cases pending are currently residing in the country.

According to the UNHCR official, around 5,000 Afghan migrants are returning to Afghanistan each day.

Afridi urged the Pakistani government to continue supporting Afghan migrants, as it has done over the past four decades, and to refrain from linking all Afghan migrants to terrorism.

“We want the government and people of Pakistan to continue the support they have provided to Afghans over the past 40 years and to improve the current situation rather than increasing pressure on them,” he said.

The development comes as UNAMA estimates that more than 2.8 million additional Afghan migrants could return from Pakistan and Iran during the current year.

More Than 400,000 Afghan Migrants Return From Pakistan in Four Months
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UN Report Highlights Education Ban, Security and Economic Strains

June 9, 2026
Hayatullah Rahimi
Journalist & Digital Editor
Tolo News
8 June 2026

The UN recorded 3,687 security incidents in Afghanistan between February and April 2026, up 57.7% from a year earlier.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres, in his latest quarterly report on Afghanistan, highlighted the ban on girls’ education, civilian casualties caused by Pakistani airstrikes and shelling along the Hypothetical Durand Line, the displacement of residents in affected areas, the country’s humanitarian and economic challenges, and declining international aid. He warned that Afghanistan is facing worsening humanitarian, economic, and security conditions.

The report, submitted to the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly, states that around 2.6 million Afghan girls remain out of school, while Afghan female UN employees are still barred from returning to work.

According to the report, the United Nations recorded 3,687 security-related incidents in Afghanistan between February and April 2026, representing a 57.7% increase compared with the same period last year.

However, Guterres noted that these incidents have not posed a significant threat to the Islamic Emirate’s control of the country.

The report further states that 372 civilians were martyred and 392 others injured between January and March 2026 as a result of Pakistani airstrikes and shelling along the Hypothetical Durand Line.

The attacks also displaced nearly 94,000 people, most of them women and children.

Guterres called on Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their differences through dialogue, reduce tensions, and restore normal trade and transit links between the two countries.

The report says Afghanistan’s economy remained under pressure during the first months of 2026 due to declining foreign aid, trade disruptions, climate-related shocks, rising inflation, and the large number of returnees from neighboring countries.

According to the report, trade through Pakistan has declined by more than 90 percent since crossing points were closed in October 2025, prompting Afghanistan to increasingly rely on routes through Iran and Central Asia.

The report also notes that Afghanistan’s humanitarian situation remains fragile. An estimated 21.9 million people, or about 45 percent of the population, are expected to require humanitarian assistance in 2026.

Guterres said that although opium poppy cultivation has declined following the Islamic Emirate’s ban on narcotics, many farmers continue to face serious economic difficulties because of the lack of viable alternative livelihoods.

The UN Secretary-General added that UNAMA continues to play a vital role in coordinating humanitarian assistance, facilitating political engagement, and monitoring the human rights situation in Afghanistan.

UN Report Highlights Education Ban, Security and Economic Strains
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Disagreements Over UNAMA’s Role Surface at UN Security Council

June 9, 2026
 Ebadullah Ebadi
 Journalist (Web Editor)
Tolo News
9 June 2026

The U.S. representative also stressed the need for the prompt appointment of a new UNAMA chief.

With just one week remaining before the expiration of UNAMA’s mandate in Afghanistan, Russia’s representative at a UN Security Council meeting on Afghanistan said that what she described as the West’s instrumental use of UNAMA has put the mission’s future at risk.

The Russian diplomat also called for the swift appointment of a new head of UNAMA, stressing that the views of Afghanistan’s current authorities should be taken into account in the process.

Anna Evstigneeva, Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations, said: “The time has come for these countries to understand that such actions only aggravate existing challenges and jeopardize the future of UNAMA’s mission—a future that, unfortunately, remains uncertain due to the positions of some Security Council members. It is unlikely that the Afghan authorities would be interested in a UN presence and monitoring mechanism that serves only the interests of the forces that left Afghanistan in August 2021.”

China’s representative also highlighted UNAMA’s role in fostering coordination between Afghanistan and the international community and emphasized Beijing’s support for extending the mission’s mandate.

Fu Cong, China’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, said: “As the penholder on Afghanistan at the Security Council, China will make every effort to build consensus among Council members and ensure the successful extension of UNAMA’s mandate, in order to support Afghanistan’s development, stability, and its early integration into the international community.”

In contrast, the United States described UNAMA as the United Nations’ most expensive political mission and called for an assessment and review of its operations and effectiveness.

The U.S. representative also stressed the need for the prompt appointment of a new UNAMA chief.

Jeffrey Bartos, U.S. Representative for UN Management and Reform, said: “The United States appreciates council members using the upcoming mandate renewal to improve UNAMA’s effectiveness, and we look forward to the adoption of a streamlined resolution.On the diplomatic front, the UN-led comprehensive approach provides a potential path forward and the Taliban must engage seriously.”

The Islamic Emirate has not yet issued any new comments regarding the extension of UNAMA’s mandate or the mission’s operations. However, Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, had previously stated that UNAMA has not been able to provide effective political representation in Afghanistan.

Mujahid had also expressed hope that the next head of UNAMA would help facilitate closer relations between Afghanistan and the international community.

These differing views on UNAMA’s performance come as the UN Security Council is expected to decide on the extension of the mission’s mandate in Afghanistan during a special session scheduled for next week.

Disagreements Over UNAMA’s Role Surface at UN Security Council
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UN protests women’s arrests in Afghanistan for alleged clothing violations

June 9, 2026
By ELENA BECATOROS

Associated Press

June 8, 2026

The United Nations’ mission in Afghanistan has expressed concern over what it says are arrests and detentions of women in western Afghanistan for allegedly not adhering to regulations governing how they should dress.

The U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said on X late Sunday that the arrests and detentions in the city of Herat raise “serious human rights concerns.”

It did not provide details. Afghanistan’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice dismissed the reports of arrests as “rumors.”

“We remind the de facto authorities that all people have the right to freedom of movement and that all persons, both women and men, are entitled to equality before the law,” the U.N. mission said on X. It had expressed concern over similar arrests in the Afghan capital, Kabul, last year.

A human rights monitor, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release details to the media, said Monday that monitors had verified at least 16 arrests and detentions, including of a pregnant woman, in Herat since Friday over alleged non-compliance with dress requirements.

On Friday, imams in mosques in Herat issued announcements during prayers on behalf of the vice and virtue ministry that women were not allowed to leave their homes without wearing the hijab. The human rights monitor said the arrests and detentions began shortly after that.

“The issues being spread about women being arrested in Herat are all rumors,” the vice and virtue ministry’s information office said in a statement. It added that “hijab is a divine command, a law that we are obliged to implement.” The headscarf and loose clothing cover the entire body.

Afghan authorities have imposed draconian restrictions on women and girls since the Taliban seized power in the country in 2021 in the wake of the chaotic withdrawal of U.S.-led forces. They have included bans on education beyond primary school and on working in all but very few professions, as well as strict regulations on what women are allowed to wear in public.

Government regulations stipulate that women can only go out in public when wearing full hijab as well as a face covering that leaves only the eyes visible. Many women in Afghanistan use face masks like those worn during the COVID pandemic to comply with regulations.

 

UN protests women’s arrests in Afghanistan for alleged clothing violations
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Taliban Forces Fire On Afghan Women Protesting New Restrictions

June 9, 2026

Radio Azadi

 RFE/RL

WATCH: Taliban Security Forces Fire On Afghan Women’s Rights Protesters

Afghanistan’s Taliban government used live fire to disperse a protest in the western city of Herat over new restrictions on women, eyewitnesses told RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi.

One eyewitness said that at least one person was killed and several were wounded in the protest led by women’s rights activists. RFE/RL could not independently verify the claim.

The militant Islamist group, which seized power in 2021, denied its security forces used gunfire to disperse the demonstrators.

The small protest on June 9 came after members of the Taliban’s notorious morality police reportedly arrested or detained several women for violating new restrictions over women’s public appearances.

In a directive issued last week, the Taliban prohibited women from appearing in public without what they described as a “proper hijab,” or Islamic head scarf.

Women who failed to comply with the Islamic dress code, including those showing their faces or wearing makeup — would face punitive measures, according to the directive.

The United Nations mission in Afghanistan has expressed concern over the crackdown on women in ⁠Herat for ‌allegedly failing to comply with the Taliban’s new directive.

“UNAMA is ⁠concerned over multiple arrests and ‌detentions of women in Herat…for alleged non-compliance with dress requirements, which raises serious human rights concerns,” UNAMA said in a post on X on June 7.

Taliban authorities in Herat denied that there have been mass detentions.

Crackdown On Women

Protests are rare under the Taliban, which has ruled Afghanistan with an iron fist since regaining power. The group has waged a violent crackdown on dissent, arresting, beating, and torturing activists and journalists, according to human rights groups.

Women have borne the brunt of the Taliban’s attempts to impose their extreme version of Islam on the war-torn country of some 40 million people.

The hard-line group has largely erased women from public life and imposed severe restrictions on their appearances, freedom of movement, and right to work and study.

In November, the Taliban barred female patients, visitors, and medical staff who do not wear the all-encompassing burqa from entering public hospitals in Herat, the country’s third largest city. It is unclear if the measure has been extended nationwide.

In August 2024, the Taliban enacted a morality law that imposed severe restrictions on women. Under the law, women are required to fully cover their faces and bodies when in public and are banned from wearing “transparent, tight, or short” clothing.

The enforcement of the extremist group’s laws, however, has been sporadic and uneven across the country and often left to the discretion of local Taliban leaders.

Many Afghan women wear a hijab, or Islamic head scarf, which covers the head and neck. In addition, some women wear a face mask to conceal their nose and mouth.

Other women don the burqa or an Islamic abaya robe and niqab that covers the hair, body, and most of the face. The latter is common in Arab countries in the Persian Gulf.

Afghan women, especially those in urban areas, consider the burqa and niqab to be alien to Afghan culture. Before the Taliban’s return to power, many women wore loose headscarves that only concealed their hair.

Taliban Forces Fire On Afghan Women Protesting New Restrictions
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Why the U.S. is detaining a senior Afghan diplomat

June 9, 2026
By Lennart Pfahler
POLITICO
Raheem Peerzada has been in immigration detention for more than a year.

Previously sealed court documents are shedding light for the first time on the reasons behind the arrest of a senior Afghan diplomat in the United States.

Raheem Peerzada, who also goes by the name Mohammed Rahim Wahidi, was detained by U.S. immigration officers on March 30, 2025, at Washington Dulles International Airport. WELT, a publication owned by Axel Springer, POLITICO’s parent company, had previously revealed that several women, including an Afghan woman living in Germany, accuse Peerzada of sexually harassing or raping them. Afghan activists have also raised corruption allegations against the former head of Afghanistan’s embassy in Madrid.

Peerzada has been held in U.S. immigration detention since his arrest. Until now, the reasons had remained opaque. According to documents obtained by POLITICO, the U.S. immigration court agency EOIR accuses Peerzada of continuing to work for the Afghan embassy after the Taliban seized power in 2021. In the United States, the Taliban are designated as a terrorist organization.

Unlike other Afghan diplomatic missions, the Madrid embassy under Peerzada allegedly coordinated with the Taliban. Peerzada’s conduct, a federal judge wrote in a May 2025 decision, “had a tendency to promote, sustain and maintain the Taliban.” It should therefore be regarded as “material support” for the Taliban, the ruling said.

Peerzada’s arrest was first reported by POLITICO and was seen in the United States as a symptom of the Trump administration’s hard-line approach to immigrants. In April, Peerzada’s lawyer again petitioned a federal court for his release. No hearing date has yet been set.

WELT’s reporting on the diplomat’s alleged abuse also played a role in Peerzada’s questioning. Several women had accused the Afghan diplomat of using his position as head of the diplomatic mission in Madrid to try to initiate sexual relationships. One woman, who later left Spain for Germany and still lives there, says Peerzada raped her in 2022 — allegedly after she had been given knockout drops. Shortly after WELT’s investigation was published, Peerzada’s tenure at the embassy came to an end. Spain ordered him to leave the country.

When Peerzada entered the United States in March 2025, U.S. border officers from the Department of Homeland Security questioned him at Washington Dulles International Airport. They also asked him how he explained the abuse allegations. Peerzada replied that there were people who wanted to destroy his reputation. “Because I was very active in Afghanistan,” he said.

The officers repeatedly asked Peerzada whether he understood the definitions of rape, “consent to a sexual act” and “drugs.” Peerzada said he did, but denied any wrongdoing. One of his statements is recorded as follows: “Europe a lot is legal. If you want to go to a girl and say ‘Hey, do you want to clap,’ then you get a girl.”

During the questioning, U.S. officials also quoted from a Facebook message found as a screenshot in the “deleted” folder on his phone. In it, someone had written to him: “There is nothing left to talk about. You raped her 2.5 years ago. Now you have to wait and see what happens. I promise you, you will be on the news.” Asked about the message, Peerzada said: “This guy wants to make bad name for me.“

The officers also showed significant interest in Peerzada’s connection to his brother-in-law, Farhad Shakeri, whom U.S. authorities accuse of plotting contract killings on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. According to an indictment filed by prosecutors in the Southern District of New York, Shakeri was allegedly tasked, among other things, with killing U.S. President Donald Trump. He is also alleged to have recruited people in the United States, in exchange for large cash payments, to surveil Iranian opposition figures and ultimately kill them. One of the defendants was sentenced in January to 15 years in prison. Shakeri remains at large and is believed to be in Tehran.

During his airport interrogation, Peerzada said he had met Shakeri in Afghanistan in 2009. A friend, he said, had told him he could visit the family — “and marry a girl.” That was how he met Shakeri’s sister, a U.S. citizen, whom he eventually married. After that, he said, he regularly met Shakeri for dinner at a restaurant after work.

Peerzada gave contradictory statements on whether he had helped Shakeri financially. At one point, he said he had given his brother-in-law small amounts of money between 2009 and 2023. Later, he denied doing so. He also said he had cut off all contact with Shakeri, saying Shakeri had brought shame upon the family.

Peerzada’s defense argues there is no evidence that he financially supported the alleged Iranian agent. In a habeas petition, the former diplomat’s lawyer argues that the U.S. government initially sought to link Peerzada to his brother-in-law, Farhad Shakeri. When no reliable evidence emerged to support that claim, the government shifted to a new theory: that Wahidi’s diplomatic work in Madrid amounted to alleged support for the Taliban.

The defense disputes that. Peerzada worked for the former, internationally recognized Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, not for the Taliban, his lawyers argue. The central piece of evidence — the airport interrogation — was also flawed, according to his lawyer. He claims, the questioning was conducted without a lawyer, without an interpreter and with the help of translation software. Peerzada also never signed the transcript.

Why the U.S. is detaining a senior Afghan diplomat
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