This comes amid widespread reactions, both domestically and internationally, to the closing of medical institutes to girls.
Hamid Karzai, the former president of Afghanistan, has said that the closing of medical institutes to girls is “deeply regrettable, especially at a time when women and mothers across the country face severe health challenges.”
In a statement, Karzai emphasized that “the only path to self-reliance and the key driver of growth and development in our country in various dimensions is education.”
He urged the Islamic Emirate to “immediately reverse the decision banning girls from medical education and, in addition, reopen schools and universities to them as soon as possible to prevent the loss of young talents, which are the nation’s invaluable and primary asset.”
The former president added that “Afghanistan will overcome its reliance on foreign assistance and internal challenges only when it possesses a cadre of specialized and educated human resources. This can only happen if educational opportunities are available to all youth, both girls and boys.”
This comes amid widespread reactions, both domestically and internationally, to the closing of medical institutes to girls.
The European Union, in response to the Islamic Emirate’s decision, called it an “appalling violation of fundamental human rights.”
The statement reads, “The European Union expresses its strong concerns over this decision and its far-reaching implication, including the deepening of the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and the exacerbation of the suffering of its people.”
The statement further said that women’s participation in education and in the workforce is “not just a matter of equality — it is essential for the self-sufficiency, development, and prosperity of any nation.”
The EU urged the Islamic Emirate to reverse this decision and fulfill its obligations under international law, including ensuring equal access to education and basic healthcare for all Afghans.
As of now, the Ministry of Public Health has not officially commented to the media on the closing of medical institutes to girls.
Karzai Calls for Immediate Reversal of Girls’ Medical Education Ban
According to Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani, the confidence in the security of the country is so high that Afghanistan’s security is now cited as an example abroad.
Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani, the acting Minister of Interior, at a seminar in Ghazni, has referred to the positive interaction, good ethics, and obedience of security forces as key factors for ensuring security in the country.
The acting minister, speaking at the seminar on the capacity-building of the Ghazni provincial security command, also mentioned that those who consider themselves above their responsibilities should understand that responsibility is a trust.
According to Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani, the confidence in the security of the country is so high that Afghanistan’s security is now cited as an example abroad.
The acting Minister of the Interior stated: “The confidence in security is so great that Afghanistan’s security is an example abroad. The reason for this is the good interaction and ethics; here, there is good interaction and obedience from the security forces.”
Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani emphasized during the seminar that responsibility should be carried out correctly because it is a trust, and those responsible should be accountable.
The acting minister further added: “Because they should not neglect or disregard their duties, responsibility must be carried out properly. Many individuals consider themselves above their responsibilities, but no matter how high they are, responsibility is a trust. When trust is given to someone, they must fulfill the right of that trust and be accountable.”
Meanwhile, officials from the Ghazni provincial security command pledged at the seminar that they would carry out their duties while considering professional and ethical standards.
Haqqani Highlights Responsibility, Ethics in Ensuring Country’s Security
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
Afghanistan Peace Campaign
