Shukria Barakzai, former member of the Afghan Parliament and former Afghan ambassador to Norway, has been elected as the Deputy of the World Liberty Congress. In a statement, the World Liberty Congress announced that this election reflects the organization’s commitment to inclusive leadership and the empowerment of women in advancing freedom, equality, and human dignity. In her message to the members of the Congress, Barakzai emphasized teamwork and stated: “Together, we stand for freedom, equality, and justice—stronger, more united, and committed to global change.” The second meeting of the World Liberty Congress was held in Berlin, attended by representatives from 60 countries. This three-day conference focused on strategies to confront authoritarian regimes, the situation of political prisoners, and the strengthening of civil resistance. During the event, elections for the Congress leadership were also held, resulting in a new executive committee after two years. Leopoldo López, Secretary-General of the World Liberty Congress, said that the organization is building a global coalition which, according to him, will become “the largest alliance of freedom fighters and defenders of democracy.” The goal of the Congress is to foster unity and cooperation in the fight against injustice and to defend universal values such as free elections, human rights, and the rule of law.

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme in Afghanistan (UN-Habitat) has recently warned that the country is vulnerable to environmental degradation. In a statement published on its official Facebook page, the agency wrote that poor waste and water management, along with a shortage of green spaces, pose a threat to the health of the Afghan population. UN-Habitat in Afghanistan emphasized in part of the statement that with targeted urban planning and public participation, it is possible to protect the environment and improve the quality of life for citizens. The program had also previously announced that urbanization in Afghanistan is accelerating rapidly; however, the country’s cities are not adequately prepared for this growth. The agency warned that if steps are not taken to manage this process, unplanned urban expansion could lead to increased poverty, housing shortages, and pressure on urban services. Meanwhile, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has found that at the beginning of 2025, due to environmental problems, food insecurity has become the biggest challenge for the Afghan people — with 47 percent of the population facing food insecurity. The IOM published this report as part of the findings from the second round of the Afghanistan Climate Vulnerability Assessment. Various UN agencies have also warned about the impacts of climate change and the worsening environmental situation in Afghanistan.

Bergdís Ellertsdóttir, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Iceland and head of the Icelandic delegation to UNESCO, has emphasized continued support for the women and girls of Afghanistan, stating that Afghan women and girls must not be forgotten in the silence of the world. Speaking at the 43rd General Conference of UNESCO in Samarkand, Ellertsdóttir said that millions of children—especially girls—in countries affected by war or under oppressive regimes have been deprived of their right to education. Referring to the extensive restrictions imposed by Afghanistan’s interim government on women’s education and employment, she said: “Millions of Afghan girls are facing harassment and blatant gender-based discrimination. UNESCO must stand with them, keep education alive, and ensure that the voices of Afghan women and girls are heard around the world.” Ellertsdóttir stressed that supporting the right to education, freedom of expression, and human dignity are among UNESCO’s core principles, and that the international community must not remain indifferent to the oppression of Afghan women. She also praised UNESCO’s role in implementing emergency programs in Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Gaza, saying these initiatives are crucial for maintaining educational continuity and supporting journalists and scientists in crisis-hit regions. Iceland, which has completed its four-year term on UNESCO’s Executive Board, has consistently prioritized gender equality, human rights, media freedom, and education for all during its tenure. According to the Icelandic Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the country will continue its cooperation with UNESCO to support Afghan women and girls and to promote education in disadvantaged regions.

t the same time that the interim government has banned women without the burqa from entering shops and markets in Herat, it has now also prohibited women from entering government offices without wearing the burqa. At least three sources have reported that on Wednesday, the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice prevented more than 50 women from entering government offices and the regional hospital in Herat. The source added that officers of the ministry stationed at the entrances of departments such as the Directorate of Education, the provincial hospital, the prison, the Civil Registration Office, and the public library did not allow women without burqas to enter. In videos circulated on social media, women and girls without burqas can be seen denied entry to the Herat regional hospital, left waiting outside its gates. According to the source, the purpose of this action is to compel women to wear the burqa by force. This measure comes as the current government has recently imposed further restrictions on women’s clothing and public presence in Herat. Yesterday, the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice held a meeting with shopkeepers and wedding hall managers in the city, instructing them not to allow women and girls without burqas, prayer shawls, or face veils to enter markets or wedding halls. A few weeks ago, the same ministry in Herat also prevented women and girls from entering the “Friday Market” located on the 64-Meter Road in the city.

NAI, the organization supporting free media in Afghanistan now operating in exile, has described the deportation of Afghan journalists from Pakistan as “sending them to their deaths.” The organization has called on the Pakistani government to stop deporting vulnerable individuals, including journalists and media workers, to Afghanistan. In a statement, NAI said that deporting journalists violates all international human rights and civil rights standards. The organization emphasized that countries that have joined international human rights declarations and covenants must act according to their global commitments and must not put any vulnerable person in danger. In the latest case, sources among Afghan migrants in Pakistan reported that Pakistani police have arrested Fatema Hamnawa, an Afghan journalist, along with her two young children. NAI, the organization supporting free media in Afghanistan, has called on the Pakistani government to release Ms. Hamnawa immediately and to facilitate the extension of her visa. The organization stressed that the government of Pakistan had pledged to prevent the arrest and deportation of Afghan human rights activists, journalists, media workers, and others whose lives are at risk in Afghanistan. NAI urged the Pakistani government to honor its commitments and to stop deporting vulnerable individuals, including human rights activists, journalists, and media workers, to Afghanistan. Human rights organizations have also repeatedly warned that Afghan journalists in Iran are at risk of deportation to Afghanistan. Over the past four years, a number of journalists and civil activists have sought refuge in neighboring countries due to threats and insecurity in Afghanistan.

The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) in Afghanistan has recently announced that female aid workers have been deployed to conduct initial assessments and assist women and girls in areas affected by the recent earthquake in the north of the country. In a post on its official X (formerly Twitter) account, UN Women stated: “Following the earthquake two nights ago in northern Afghanistan, we are working with our local partners to assess the immediate needs of women and girls.” The agency further emphasized its support for the female aid workers who are being deployed with initial assessment teams to help affected women and girls. Meanwhile, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) also expressed deep concern over the devastating earthquake in northern Afghanistan in a post on its X account. The UNHCR expressed sympathy with the victims of the natural disaster and urged the United Nations and its partners to provide immediate support to the “affected communities.” According to preliminary figures from the de facto authorities, the 6.3-magnitude earthquake that struck five northern provinces two nights ago has left 27 people dead and 730 others injured. In addition to the human casualties, the earthquake has caused significant material damage. Several neighboring countries, along with international organizations, have expressed condolences to the families of the victims and announced their readiness to assist the injured.

The Afghanistan Journalists Center has recently announced that in the past two decades, around 130 journalists and media workers — including 20 female journalists — have lost their lives in Afghanistan due to war-related incidents and organized crimes. In a statement issued on the occasion of the “International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists,” the center said that since 2001, at least 130 journalists and media workers, among them 20 women, have been killed in the country. It added that due to a culture of impunity, law and justice have not been upheld in more than 90 percent of these cases. The Afghanistan Journalists Center emphasized that during more than four years under the rule of the caretaker government, at least 640 cases of violations of journalists’ rights and actions against media outlets have been recorded. The statement further noted that during this period, five journalists — including two employees of the National Radio and Television — were killed in an attack by Pakistani military forces. It added: “The culture of impunity for crimes against journalists has prevented justice for most of these victims, and restrictions on media and journalistic activities in the country have increased to an unprecedented level.” The center stated that the dominance of the culture of impunity in Afghanistan, along with the growing threats, pressures, and restrictions against journalists and media organizations, has had severe consequences for society and the country’s development. The Afghanistan Journalists Center called on the current government to respect the fundamental rights of journalists and media outlets and to take necessary measures to ensure justice for the victims of crimes against journalists and media workers. In conclusion, the center urged the caretaker government to revoke the decrees that have imposed unprecedented restrictions on media freedom and to allow journalists and free media to report events and convey the truth.

Local sources from Kandahar province report that in one of the migrant camps in the Takht-e Pol district of this province, two children and a woman died due to hunger and illness. At least two sources have stated that these individuals died on the evening of Friday, October 31, in the "Anzargi" area of the Takht-e Pol district in Kandahar. The source further emphasized that the family of the deceased children had been stranded at the Chaman border for 15 days and finally entered Afghanistan through Spin Boldak, but their children died from hunger. The source added that according to available information, the children were two and three months old. The source clarified: "The woman who died was also severely ill due to being stranded on the other side of the border." Additionally, some media outlets have quoted the head of the government’s refugee affairs in Kandahar, confirming the deaths of these two children. The report states that this incident highlights the increasing poverty and acute food insecurity among returnees. Meanwhile, UNICEF, or the United Nations Children's Fund representative in Afghanistan, has stated that the country is facing one of the most severe nutrition crises globally, with 3.5 million children suffering from acute malnutrition. In late September of this year, the Secretary-General of the United Nations warned in a report that approximately 9.5 million people in Afghanistan are struggling with severe food insecurity, with 1.6 million of them in an emergency situation. The United Nations indicates that the food crisis in Afghanistan has been exacerbated by the forced return of migrants and cuts to financial aid, leaving millions at risk of hunger and malnutrition. Human rights organizations and international bodies emphasize the worsening poverty, unemployment, and food insecurity among returning migrants, while Iran and Pakistan continue to detain and deport hundreds of Afghan migrants daily. According to statistics from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, from April to November of this year, 2 million and 78 thousand Afghan migrants have returned from Iran and Pakistan to Afghanistan.

Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF’s Representative in Afghanistan, has stated that the country is facing one of the most severe malnutrition crises in the world. In a post on his account on X, Mr. Oyewale wrote that 3.5 million children are suffering from acute malnutrition, with one million severely wasted and at risk. He emphasized: “This is preventable. Sustainable funding and access to female health workers can save lives and protect children’s futures.” Earlier, OCHA — the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs — had also said that Afghanistan is facing one of the worst hunger crises in the world. The agency reported that 9.5 million people are suffering from severe food insecurity, and one in five people does not know where their next meal will come from. The return of the interim government to power and worsening drought conditions have deepened poverty across Afghanistan. The United Nations recently reported that more than 22 million people in the country are in need of humanitarian assistance, even as international aid to Afghanistan has declined. Meanwhile, as the economic situation deteriorates, neighboring countries have been forcibly returning Afghan migrants. This year alone, over two million Afghans have returned from Iran and Pakistan.