UNAMA, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, has expressed concern over the multiple arrests and detentions of women and girls in Herat by the Ministry for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice due to "non-compliance with dress requirements." Today (Sunday, June 7), UNAMA published a statement on its X account, stating that these arrests raise serious concerns regarding human rights. The UN Assistance Mission further emphasized: "We remind the authorities that all individuals are entitled to the right to freedom of movement, and all persons, regardless of gender, have the right to equality before the law." This comes as agents from the Ministry for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice have arrested several women and girls in Herat over the past two days for failing to adhere to Islamic hijab. In a video released today from the Jebrail area of Herat, it can be seen that agents from the Ministry are arresting a woman, putting her into a vehicle, and taking her away. The exact number of arrested women and their condition is still unclear. The Ministry for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice issued an order last Thursday stating that starting this week on Saturday, women and girls whose faces and hair are visible will be arrested and "directly" transferred to prison. This is not the first instance; the current government has previously arrested and imprisoned young women and girls in Kabul and several other cities for failing to comply with the mandated dress code.

José Manuel Albares, the Spanish Foreign Minister, emphasized support for Afghan women during the fifth meeting of ministers on feminist foreign policy in Madrid, stating that their voices will continue to be heard despite efforts within Afghanistan to silence them. In his opening speech at the meeting, Mr. Albares addressed Afghan women, saying: “This will always be your home. The voices of Afghan women will always be heard from this ministry, even if someone tries to silence them.” He further highlighted that the Spanish Foreign Ministry hosts an annual meeting titled “Hear Our Voice,” where organizations and institutions of Afghan women in exile come together to advocate for freedom and gender justice. He added that part of the Spanish Foreign Ministry building has been named the “Afghan Women’s Hall,” and a commemorative plaque has been installed to ensure that the voices of Afghan women are always reflected in this institution. The two-day Madrid meeting, themed “Building Peace and Democracy,” has seen participation from government officials, representatives of international organizations, civil society institutions, and women’s rights activists from around 60 countries. Organizers have stated that over 140 civil society organizations and women's rights advocacy groups are attending this meeting, with the main focus of discussions being the role of feminist foreign policy in advancing gender equality, defending women's rights, and strengthening peace and democracy. Afghanistan has been a central topic of this meeting. Participants have expressed concern over the continued deprivation of women and girls from education, work, and participation in public life. Organizers announced that two special sessions have been dedicated to Afghanistan: one discussing what has been termed “gender apartheid” in the country, and the other focusing on the role of women in peace-building processes and the future of democracy in Afghanistan. This meeting takes place at a time when Afghanistan remains the only country in the world where girls are deprived of secondary education and higher education. Participants emphasized that sustainable peace and democracy are not possible without meaningful participation from women, and support for Afghan women and girls must remain a fundamental part of global efforts to defend human rights, gender equality, and peace.

John Ayleff, the World Food Program Director for Afghanistan, states that due to the intensification of the humanitarian crisis and disruptions in aid delivery routes, mothers and children suffering from malnutrition in the country are being sent back without receiving assistance from health centers. In a statement, Mr. Ayleff noted that malnutrition has reached its highest level, with weak and desperate mothers and children being turned away from clinics because there is no food available to help them. He emphasized that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to conflicts has severely disrupted trade and humanitarian aid efforts to Afghanistan. He added that Afghanistan, which had shifted its trade route to the port of Bandar Abbas in Iran following the closure of the Pakistan border late last year, is now facing new disruptions. According to reports, with the Iranian government controlling the Strait of Hormuz and U.S. sanctions on Iranian ports, this route has effectively been blocked as well. The World Food Program Director stated that the organization’s food reserves were completely depleted by mid-April, making it extremely difficult to continue aid efforts amid the ongoing crisis. Based on this report, the World Food Program has been forced to transport its shipments via long routes through Central Asia; an action that has tripled transportation costs and increased the prices of food supplements by 35%. This comes at a time when the organization has received only eight percent of the budget it needs for this year. Additionally, the director reported that a shipment of fortified biscuits for schools, which was supposed to be transferred from Dubai to Afghanistan via Iran, has been stuck in the United Arab Emirates for weeks since the outbreak of war in late February. This shipment is now taking a lengthy land route through Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and the Caspian Sea before entering the country through Turkmenistan. According to United Nations data, half of Afghanistan's population relies on humanitarian assistance for survival. Concerns about an escalating humanitarian crisis in the country have intensified during the summer season. Moreover, UN-affiliated organizations have previously stated that due to the ban on women working in international aid organizations, providing assistance to women and girls has become increasingly difficult.

UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, reports that the ongoing restrictions on girls' education and women's work in Afghanistan have resulted in a 0.5 percent decrease in the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In a published report, the organization stated that these restrictions have weakened Afghanistan's human resources, and each year that these limitations continue, a new group of girls is deprived of entering the skilled workforce, leading to significant social and economic consequences for Afghanistan. UNICEF has warned that the continuation of this situation could also affect children's health. The report indicates that mothers' lack of access to education is linked to an increase in child stunting, reduced vaccination coverage, and decreased prenatal care. Additionally, it noted that if women's education and employment were to expand, Afghanistan's economic growth could increase by an additional 0.5 percent annually. The organization emphasized that since the ban on girls' education over four years ago, no girl in Afghanistan has been able to attend school beyond the sixth grade. According to the report, approximately one million girls have directly suffered from this ban so far. UNICEF has warned that if this prohibition continues, in the next five years, two million girls will be deprived of the right to education beyond primary school. The report states that in the next 35 years, around 600,000 skilled women will exit Afghanistan's workforce. The United Nations Children's Fund specified that 40 out of 129 universities in Afghanistan are at risk of closure due to decreased revenue and a decline in the number of students and professors, particularly female students and faculty. According to the report, the two main sectors where women are still allowed to work are education and health services. However, with the closure of educational opportunities for girls, the number of female teachers and health workers will significantly decline in the future.

International media has reported that with the formation of the new government in Denmark, Samira Nova Amini, a Danish politician of Afghan descent, has been appointed as the Minister of Climate, Energy, and Public Services in the country’s cabinet. Ms. Nova is a well-known political figure in Denmark and has previously worked in areas related to climate policy and energy. The report states that Samira Nova, from the "Radical Venstre" party with social-liberal tendencies, will take on the responsibilities of this ministry starting today (Wednesday, June 3). This appointment comes at a time when issues related to climate change and energy supply are among the top priorities of the new Danish government. Ms. Nova was born in 1988 in Aalborg, Denmark, to Afghan parents who fled to Denmark in 1986 due to the Soviet war in Afghanistan. She holds a degree in economics from the University of Copenhagen. Part of the report mentions that she worked for a period in various think tanks and ministries in Denmark before entering politics. In 2019, she was elected as a representative of the "Radical Venstre" party in the Danish Parliament and later became one of the prominent figures in the party in areas such as economics, employment, gender equality, and climate policy. She was re-elected in subsequent elections and rose to higher positions within the party. While Ms. Amini becomes a minister in Denmark, the current regime in Afghanistan has deprived women and girls of education and schooling since its takeover. Recently, they closed the doors of medical institutes to girls and women, while the health sector across Afghanistan faces a shortage of personnel. This action by the current government has resulted in millions of girls being unable to access education. Additionally, women have been banned from going to sports clubs, restaurants, public baths, being examined by male doctors, traveling without a male guardian, and working in domestic and international NGOs, including UN offices in Afghanistan. According to reports, if these prohibitions continue, nearly four million girls may be deprived of education by 2030.

The United Nations Women’s Section has recently announced that approximately 50,000 women and girls in vulnerable areas of Afghanistan, particularly in the eastern part of the country, are facing an increasing risk of gender-based violence, with their access to healthcare and other essential services severely limited. In a published report, the organization warned that pregnant women are at greater risk as they grapple with insecurity and displacement, compounded by hunger and limited access to medical care. The report states that women displaced due to border conflicts and recent earthquakes in eastern Afghanistan are facing serious health challenges, food insecurity, and psychological trauma. The UN Women’s Section emphasized that some families who were previously displaced by the earthquakes in eastern Afghanistan have been forced to leave their homes again due to border conflicts. The report mentions a 30-year-old woman named Najiba, who was affected by the recent earthquakes and was living in a tent while pregnant. After the onset of border conflicts, she had to leave her residence with her family once more. Najiba told the UN Women’s Section: “There was no safe place. Airplanes were flying overhead, and my children were terrified. Every time they heard the sound, they cried and screamed.” After giving birth at an Afghan Red Crescent clinic, she, along with her newborn, six other children, and her husband, was moved to a camp in the Mazdara area of the Nurgal district in Nangarhar province. The UN Women’s Section stated that following the escalation of tensions and conflicts along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, more than 100,000 people have been displaced due to airstrikes, shelling, drone attacks, and ground fighting. The organization added that women and girls, who are currently living under extensive restrictions on movement and access to essential services, have been disproportionately affected by the rise in insecurity and displacement. The report concludes that ongoing insecurity, displacement, and existing restrictions put Afghan women and girls at greater risk of gender-based violence, poverty, and deprivation of basic services.

Petri Orpo, the Prime Minister of Finland, has described the situation in Afghanistan as alarming, stating that the interim government continues to violate human rights and impose restrictions on citizens, particularly on women and girls. Mr. Orpo made these remarks at the Hazara Culture Day festival in Finland, emphasizing that one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises is unfolding in Afghanistan, where human rights are still being violated. He further stressed that the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan are increasingly being undermined, and violence and discrimination against them are never acceptable. He added that Finland is working within the framework of the global community and the European Union to improve the situation in Afghanistan and will continue these efforts. Additionally, the Finnish Prime Minister stated that Hazaras who have chosen this country as their home should not forget their cultural heritage; rather, preserving their language, culture, art, and cultural identity is of special importance. He noted that language, religion, music, literature, clothing, and art are fundamental elements of individual and community identity, and these values become even more significant for those living away from their homeland. He mentioned the role of the Hazara community in promoting education and equality, stating that Hazaras were among the first groups in Afghanistan to fight for girls' access to education. Latif Fayyaz, the head of the Hazara Cultural House in Finland, also remarked at the event that Hazaras have faced discrimination, oppression, and massacres throughout history but have always valued education, work, peaceful coexistence, and social participation. The Hazarh Culture Day festival was held at the cultural center in Jarvenpaa, featuring cultural programs, traditional clothing displays, local music, art exhibitions, and traditional Hazara cuisine.

OCHA, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, has recently reported that as of last month, only $269 million, or 16% of the $1.71 billion budget needed for humanitarian aid this year in Afghanistan, has been secured. In a message posted on its X account, the organization stated that the growing funding gap poses a serious threat to life-saving humanitarian support in Afghanistan. OCHA further warned that without immediate financial resources, millions of people in Afghanistan will be at risk of losing access to humanitarian assistance. This comes as the United Nations Development Program warned last month that poverty in Afghanistan continues to escalate, with nearly 28 million people projected to be unable to meet even their most basic needs by 2025. Additionally, the United Nations Development Program announced that international aid to Afghanistan is expected to decrease by about 16.5% in 2025. The statement noted that due to budget cuts, more than 440 healthcare centers have either closed or limited their services, and the number of individuals lacking access to health services has increased from 16% in 2024 to 23% in 2025.