The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has announced that Japan has contributed 864 million yen, equivalent to $5.6 million, to improve livelihoods and support economic opportunities for women and girls in Afghanistan. In a statement released on Tuesday, November 27, the agency said that a memorandum of understanding was signed between Kenichi Masamoto, Japan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, and Stephen Rodriguez, UNDP’s Representative for Afghanistan. With this contribution, a two-year project titled “Enhancing Women’s Livelihoods through Promoting Economic Activities in Border Areas” will be launched. According to the statement, the project will utilize 73 small-scale initiatives to improve access to community-based productive infrastructure, financial resources, and markets for 2,100 women-led small and medium enterprises, thereby promoting inclusive local economies. The statement also quoted Ambassador Masamoto as saying: “Japan stands with the people of Afghanistan—especially women—in their pursuit of economic independence and human dignity.” He added: “This project will help create safe and effective opportunities for women so they can support themselves and their families.” Meanwhile, Stephen Rodriguez emphasized that this initiative builds on the previous project aimed at strengthening the economic engagement of women and girls in the private sector, which demonstrated that investing in women-led businesses is essential for a prosperous Afghanistan. In the previous project, UNDP supported 1,260 women-led businesses and created more than 2,500 jobs, 87% of which were filled by women. Nearly 90 infrastructure projects under this framework are also nearing completion. This development comes as the interim Afghan government has imposed widespread restrictions on the economic and social activities of women since regaining power, banning women and girls from working in government offices, domestic and international NGOs, and forcing the closure of several women-led businesses.

AMSO, the Afghanistan Media Support Organization, has recently reported the arrest of four Afghan journalists and media workers in Pakistan. In a statement posted on its X account, the organization wrote that the arrest of Afghan journalists by Pakistani police is a direct blow to freedom of expression. The statement emphasizes that journalism is not a crime; rather, it is the voice of the people, a reflection of events, and a fundamental tool for conveying the truth. The Afghanistan Media Support Organization further stressed that any form of pressure, threat, or arbitrary detention seriously undermines the safety and independent work of journalists. The organization also called on the Pakistani government and security agencies to immediately release the detained journalists and to respect the safety of journalists who fled the critical situation in Afghanistan. According to the statement, the closure of visa extension pathways for Afghan refugees in Pakistan, along with the continued arrests, has created a concerning situation. The Afghanistan Media Support Organization urged media-supporting institutions and civil society organizations to take urgent and effective action regarding the deteriorating situation of Afghan journalists in Pakistan. Meanwhile, AMSO had recently sent a letter to the United Nations and human rights organizations—signed by 300 Afghan journalists and media workers—calling for support and protection for Afghan journalists in Pakistan. RSF in Exile had also called on the Pakistani government to halt the persecution, arrest, and deportation of Afghan journalists and media workers as soon as possible.

Coinciding with International Students’ Day, the Alliance of Human Rights Activists has warned that policies depriving women and girls of education constitute one of the most unprecedented and systematic attacks on the right to education in the contemporary world. In a statement published on its X account, the organization wrote that denying girls access to education destroys the awareness, identity, and intellectual capacity of Afghanistan’s future generation, and that this project, within the framework of international law, can be considered an “act of cultural genocide, gender apartheid, and a crime against humanity.” The statement further notes that educational restrictions on women are neither scattered nor accidental. By eliminating women from education, these measures deprive half of society of economic, social, and intellectual participation. The statement adds that actions taken against women and girls clearly constitute “cultural genocide.” The Alliance of Human Rights Activists has called on the international community, the United Nations, global educational institutions, and universities around the world to recognize the suppression of women in Afghanistan as “cultural genocide and gender apartheid.” They emphasize that Afghanistan’s future is impossible without women’s education, and that global silence in the face of “the most systematic educational oppression of the present era” paves the way for this crisis to expand. These criticisms arise as the current authorities, since taking control of Afghanistan, have barred women and girls from education. In their latest restriction, they closed the doors of medical institutes to women and girls, even as the health sector across Afghanistan faces a shortage of personnel. This action has left millions of school-aged girls deprived of education. Additionally, women have been banned from going to gyms, restaurants, public baths, receiving medical examinations from male doctors, traveling without a male guardian, and working in domestic or international NGOs—even in UN offices within Afghanistan.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has announced that a new restriction imposed in Herat on November 5 — requiring women, including patients, caretakers, and female health workers, to wear a burqa in order to enter medical facilities — has led to a significant decrease in the number of people seeking healthcare. In a report published by the organization, it stated that statistics show a 28% decrease in patient admissions in the pediatric department of the Herat Regional Hospital in just the first three days after the directive was implemented. The report adds that this local restriction, suddenly enforced across all public medical centers including Herat Hospital, has created new barriers for women and further disrupted their daily lives. Sarah Chateau, MSF’s program manager, emphasized: “With this decision, the entry of women patients and caretakers into hospitals is now determined by their clothing, not their medical needs. Any restriction on women seeking healthcare means delays in receiving services and even being deprived of treatment. This will have dangerous consequences for mothers and children who are already facing serious challenges in accessing healthcare.” The organization also expressed concern that these restrictions have affected service delivery in other parts of the province as well. A similar situation has been reported at the Islam Qala border crossing with Iran. According to humanitarian organizations, out of more than 100 female employees who previously worked at this crossing point, only three — a midwife, a doctor, and a nurse — are currently allowed to continue working, and only on the condition that they wear a burqa throughout their shift. This comes as many women recently deported from Iran are arriving in the country in fragile health conditions and are in urgent need of care. Doctors Without Borders has warned that “the cumulative impact of these restrictions — both in Herat’s medical centers and at the Islam Qala crossing — is alarming.” It is worth noting that since 2021, women in Afghanistan have been increasingly removed from public life.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, has recently stated that lifting all restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan is essential. Dujarric made these remarks during a press briefing, referring to a new UN Development Programme (UNDP) report on the living conditions of Afghan citizens. He said that the restrictions imposed on women and girls in Afghanistan prevent women from working and moving freely outside their homes. He further emphasized that these restrictions on women’s work have also affected the implementation of humanitarian operations and reconstruction efforts. The UN spokesperson also criticized the ongoing ban on the education of girls above the sixth grade in Afghanistan, calling the situation “unacceptable.” The United Nations added that without guaranteeing the rights of women and girls, humanitarian and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan cannot be fully carried out. According to the UNDP report, the return of millions of people to Afghanistan’s returnee areas is happening under severe economic pressure, climate shocks, and recent earthquakes. Families have been forced to reduce meals, sell their assets, and take loans to meet their daily needs. Data from the United Nations also shows that since the current government returned to power, more than 80 decrees aimed at restricting women and girls have been issued and implemented. Global efforts and calls for lifting these restrictions have so far yielded no results.

OCHA, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, has recently announced that Afghanistan is among the top 10 most vulnerable countries to the climate crisis. In a statement published on its X account, the organization wrote: “Although Afghanistan produces less than one percent of global greenhouse gases, it faces some of the highest costs resulting from climate change.” The UN Development Programme had also stated that Afghanistan is one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to climate change. This comes as the 30th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP30) began on 19 Aqrab in Belém, Brazil, with the participation of more than 190 countries. The COP30 agenda includes reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reforms in agriculture, and financing actions to combat global warming. A few days earlier, UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, said that the impact of climate change on Afghanistan is a “silent emergency,” noting that more than half of the water sources in drought-prone provinces have dried up. Tajuddin Oyewale, UNICEF’s representative in Afghanistan, had said that eight out of every ten people use contaminated water, and that Afghanistan is among the countries most affected by climate impacts, despite contributing almost nothing to the crisis.

The European Union’s Humanitarian Aid Program has recently announced that UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, with financial support from ECHO-ASIA, is assisting health workers in managing child malnutrition. In a message published today (Thursday, November 13) on its official X account, the program stated that health workers will provide home-based care for children suffering from malnutrition. The statement added that UNICEF trains health workers to manage malnutrition in a timely manner through outpatient care, in order to prevent unnecessary hospitalizations. The UN Children’s Fund had previously reported the establishment of 70 “Child Development Centers” across Afghanistan. The organization also noted that most families in Afghanistan—particularly in mountainous regions such as Bamiyan—lack access to diverse and nutritious food. Meanwhile, the World Food Programme (WFP) announced two days ago that the rate of malnutrition in Afghanistan, especially among women and children, is rising alarmingly. The WFP warned that with the onset of winter, the level of food insecurity and inadequate nutrition in the country could increase significantly. It is worth noting that following the return to power of the current government in Afghanistan, several international organizations stated that they had reduced their aid operations in the country due to the ban on female staff.

UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, has recently stated that the impact of climate change on Afghanistan represents a silent emergency, as more than half of the country’s water sources in drought-prone provinces have dried up. Tajuddin Oyewale, UNICEF’s representative in Afghanistan, speaking alongside the opening of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Brazil (COP-30), said that eight out of every ten people in Afghanistan use contaminated water. He added that Afghanistan is among the countries most affected by the impacts of climate change, despite contributing almost nothing to the global crisis. He emphasized that the effects of climate and water crises on Afghan families are often overlooked. Oyewale added: “The impact of climate change on the country is truly a silent emergency; more than half of the water sources in key drought-prone provinces have dried up.” In his report, the UNICEF representative noted that eight in ten people drink contaminated water, and that healthcare systems in urban areas are collapsing under the pressure of disasters and environmental degradation, leading to an increasing spread of waterborne diseases. Oyewale also said that Afghanistan remains one of the least-funded countries when it comes to global humanitarian crises, receiving only five percent of the funds required to ensure safe and climate-resilient water and sanitation access. Despite these funding shortages, UNICEF stated that it continues to work tirelessly with its partners to provide assistance to families and children facing multiple emergencies. The UNICEF representative called on world leaders attending the conference in Brazil to remember the countries not present in the negotiation halls and the children searching for water with empty containers. It is worth noting that the United Nations Climate Change Conference officially began on Monday in Belém, Brazil. Afghanistan does not have a representative at this conference.

The humanitarian organization World Vision has recently announced that Afghanistan ranks fourth globally in terms of acute child malnutrition. In a statement posted on its official X (Twitter) account, the organization wrote that Afghanistan is facing one of the worst nutrition crises in the world, with about 3.7 million children under the age of five suffering from acute malnutrition — around one million of whom have become severely underweight. The statement further emphasized that 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women in Afghanistan are also suffering from acute malnutrition. World Vision has warned of budget cuts for aid services in Afghanistan, adding that 305 nutrition sites have been closed due to financial and accessibility challenges. The organization noted that the current funding covers only 30% of the country’s humanitarian needs. Stressing the urgency of assistance, World Vision said: “Now is the time to act — hungry and malnourished children cannot wait.” The humanitarian organization had previously warned that the reduction of humanitarian aid in Afghanistan has pushed thousands of families into crisis, forcing children to choose between hunger and hard labor. Similarly, a short while ago, OCHA (the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) stated that women and children have been the most affected by the hunger crisis. OCHA reported that Afghanistan is facing one of the worst hunger crises in the world, with about 9.5 million people experiencing severe food insecurity — meaning one in every five people does not know where their next meal will come from. International organizations have repeatedly warned of a humanitarian catastrophe and rising hunger in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.

Coinciding with the World Science Day for Peace and Development, the European Union Delegation to Afghanistan has stated that investing in science and supporting students and teachers is the most powerful path toward a sustainable and prosperous future. In a message published today (Monday, November 10) on its official Facebook page, the EU Delegation emphasized that the European Union’s commitment to supporting education in Afghanistan is absolutely vital. The statement further highlighted that science and knowledge are keys to lasting peace, innovation, problem-solving, and a self-reliant future for all Afghan citizens. The message added: “We stand firm in our belief that knowledge is the foundation of progress. We must ensure that every young Afghan can realize their full potential.” This message comes as the World Science Day for Peace and Development is being observed, while the current Afghan government has banned women and girls from education and schooling after taking control of the country. In its latest restriction, it has also closed the doors of medical institutes to women and girls, even as the health sector across Afghanistan faces severe shortages of personnel. As a result of these actions, millions of female students have been deprived of education. In addition, women have been banned from attending gyms, restaurants, and public baths; from being examined by male doctors; from traveling without a male guardian; and from working with domestic and international NGOs