Radio France International (RFI) has recently reported that women and girls in Afghanistan are facing severe restrictions, denial of education, and security threats. Many of them dream only of leaving the country and are struggling with a psychological crisis. The radio reported day (Sunday, August 24) that Sheela Noori, founder of the Afghan Women’s Organization in France, has, for the first time since the caretaker government took power in 2021, managed to travel across Afghanistan. During this trip, she visited 15 provinces and spoke with women, girls, and men about their humanitarian and psychological situation. In the report, Ms. Noori stated that girls have been deprived of education from the age of 13, and many women and girls are in a dire mental state. She further emphasized that women’s access to jobs, recreational facilities, and healthcare services has become extremely limited. The founder of the Afghan Women’s Organization in France added that children are also under pressure, with many forced to work on the streets to support their families. Ms. Noori said: “Women and girls who used to study or work are now very depressed. They spend the whole day at home — waking up, cooking, cleaning the house — and the only thing they can do is go out for shopping or to visit each other.” In mid-October last year, the UN Refugee Agency reported that mental health issues among Afghan women had risen by 40 to 50 percent over the previous year. Additionally, in early June this year, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs stated in a report that 48 percent of Afghans live below the poverty line and more than 22 million people are in need of humanitarian aid.

Pakistani media have recently reported that around 300 Afghan families are living in temporary and unsanitary conditions in Argentina Park in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, while waiting to be relocated to a third country. According to a report published by Pakistan’s Geo News, these families have been left in limbo following the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan and changes in U.S. and other countries’ refugee policies. The report states that among them are former female Afghan police officers who say they were forced to flee their homeland due to threats and violence. It also mentions that since 2023, more than one million Afghans have left Pakistan, with over 200,000 of them expelled or forced to return since April of this year. Somaya, a 24-year-old who fled Afghanistan in 2022 and sought refuge in Pakistan, told Geo News: “We escaped because our lives were in danger in Afghanistan. There was no future for our children there. But here, too, there is no place for us.” Many Afghan refugees in Islamabad say they live between hope and despair, face an uncertain future, and are calling for resettlement in safe countries. According to Pakistani media, more than 1.3 million Afghans hold Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, while another 750,000 possess Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC). These pressures are part of the Pakistani government’s “Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan,” which is being implemented simultaneously in Iran, where more than 1.5 million Afghans have also been expelled.

Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s Foreign Minister, has recently stated that although Afghanistan’s caretaker government has provided security for the Shia community over the past four years, their rights have not been respected. Mr. Araghchi made these remarks in an interview with Iran’s state-run news agency IRNA, saying that while Iran maintains close cooperation with the current government, there is still distance when it comes to officially recognizing it. The Foreign Minister also claimed that Iran’s border security has improved in the past four years and that Afghanistan’s caretaker government has ensured security “well.” He further stressed that although the issue of Iran’s water rights from Afghanistan’s rivers has seen improvement under the current government, it still does not meet Iran’s expectations. The Foreign Minister added that diplomatic relations between the two countries are ongoing and that “the current level of neighborly cooperation is acceptable.” It is worth noting that over the past four years, Iran has engaged extensively in political and economic interactions with the Afghan government and has become the largest exporter of goods to Afghanistan. However, during this period, the two sides have also faced tensions over water rights and border issues, with their forces clashing several times along the frontier. Araghchi’s remarks about respecting the rights of Afghanistan’s Shia community come as the Shia Personal Status Law has been annulled and Ja‘fari jurisprudence books have been removed.

Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the supreme leader of the caretaker government, has recently ordered that religious education for women and girls in Afghanistan be halted in religious schools. Al Arabiya News Agency reported on Wednesday, August 20, that the decision was made during a recent meeting of the current government in Kandahar. According to the report, the Ministries of Education and Higher Education have been instructed to gradually stop the enrollment of girls in religious schools. The report states that the reason behind this decision is Akhundzada’s concern over the teaching of modern sciences—such as mathematics, natural sciences, and languages—in these schools. He reportedly believes this has led the institutions to carry only the “religious” name without serving their intended purpose. Al Arabiya’s report comes at a time when many girls, after the closure of regular schools, had turned to religious schools for education. It is worth noting that since the caretaker government’s return to power in Afghanistan, it has imposed wide-ranging restrictions on women’s fundamental rights and freedoms, depriving them of access to education and employment. This move has left millions of schoolgirls without education. In addition, women have been banned from going to gyms, restaurants, public bathhouses, being examined by male doctors, traveling without a male guardian, and working in both domestic and international NGOs as well as UN offices in Afghanistan.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has praised the resilience and dedication of aid workers, international agencies, and humanitarian activists in Afghanistan, while stressing the importance of supporting returnees in the country. In a message posted on its X account to mark World Humanitarian Day, the organization stated that every day efforts are made to deliver life-saving assistance to refugees who are returning and living in difficult conditions. The IOM emphasized: “We strive to ensure that in providing assistance, the dignity and value of those in need are respected, and their hope for a safer future is strengthened.” The organization added that this day serves as an opportunity for the international community to reaffirm its commitment to humanity, as well as to the protection of aid workers and people in need during humanitarian crises. It is worth noting that World Humanitarian Day comes at a time when international organizations and human rights activists have repeatedly warned that without global support and assistance, returnees in Afghanistan will not be able to live with dignity and security. This comes as the return of migrants from Pakistan surged in April after Pakistani authorities set a deadline for undocumented migrants to leave the country. At the same time, a larger wave of returns from Iran began and still continues. The head of the IOM described the situation at Afghanistan’s borders as critical but also stressed that the pressures on host communities where returnees settle should not be overlooked. He said: “Many of these areas already lack basic services and economic opportunities. Without investment, returnees will struggle to reintegrate, which often leads to further displacement. Breaking this vicious cycle requires sustained support.” Currently, one of the most serious problems facing returnees is the lack of shelter. Since the start of the mass return, Afghan cities have faced a shortage of housing, while rental prices have risen sharply.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned of the ongoing food crisis in Afghanistan, stating that two-thirds of families headed by women in the country are unable to afford food. In a newly released report, WFP said that 4.6 million mothers and children in Afghanistan are suffering from malnutrition. The programme further stressed that, as food insecurity remains at critical levels, malnutrition continues to rise. According to WFP’s latest data, this year 3.5 million children under the age of five and 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding mothers have become malnourished and will require lifesaving treatment. The report noted that women and girls in Afghanistan are in the greatest need of WFP assistance. WFP stated that despite restrictions on education, work, and freedoms, women and girls continue to visit WFP centres to receive lifesaving food and nutrition assistance; however, due to funding shortages, malnourished mothers and children are being deprived of aid. The agency emphasized that it requires 650 million USD to continue providing humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable until the end of 2025. The United Nations had earlier warned that with worsening malnutrition among women and children, Afghanistan is among the 15 countries with the highest rates of child malnutrition, with four in every ten women facing malnutrition. The worsening hunger crisis and the resulting malnutrition have raised alarms for millions in need across Afghanistan. The UN has warned that about one-third of the Afghan population requires food aid and 3.1 million people are on the brink of famine. Following the suspension of U.S. funding and the reduction of humanitarian assistance from other countries, UN agencies have repeatedly warned of rising malnutrition in Afghanistan.

The UN Women section has recently warned that four years after the caretaker government’s takeover of Afghanistan, women and girls remain deprived of their fundamental rights, threatening their health, education, and security. In a statement published on its X account, the organization wrote that nearly 78 percent of girls and young women in Afghanistan are barred from attending school, employment, and vocational training—figures that are four times higher than for boys. The statement further added that the consequences of these restrictions include rising maternal mortality, high rates of child marriage, a mental health crisis, and increasing poverty among families. According to the announcement, by 2026, early pregnancies are projected to rise by 45 percent, and maternal deaths will increase by more than 50 percent. It is noteworthy that restrictions on women’s movement, the ban on medical education, and gender-based obstacles have forced many women to travel long distances even to access clinics, while certain services remain entirely out of reach for them. The statement also highlighted that in 2023, about 30 percent of girls under the age of 18—including 10 percent under 15—were married, with many families marrying off their daughters due to poverty. As a result of the current government’s measures, millions of schoolgirls have been denied access to education. In addition, women have been banned from going to gyms, restaurants, public baths, being examined by male doctors, traveling without a male guardian, and working in national and international NGOs as well as even UN offices in Afghanistan.

A senior United Nations official has warned that Afghan women and girls have been stripped of their basic rights and dignity nearly four years after the caretaker government returned to power. Georgette Gagnon, the UN Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan, said in a recent statement that restrictions on women’s education amount to a devastating loss not only for girls and their families but for Afghan society at large. “Until recently, hundreds of girls across the country attended schools and universities, and at least half of Kabul University’s students were women. That is no longer the case,” Gagnon noted. She stressed that the UN remains committed to defending the rights of Afghan women and girls. Since regaining control, the caretaker government have barred women and girls from nearly all spheres of public life, including education, politics, and social participation. Millions of school-aged girls have been excluded from classrooms, while women face sweeping bans on working with NGOs and even UN offices in Afghanistan. Women are also prohibited from visiting gyms, restaurants, and public baths, traveling without a male guardian, or being examined by male doctors.

UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, has recently announced that during the four years of the caretaker government, 2.2 million girls in Afghanistan have been deprived of their right to education. In a report published by this organization, it is stated that since the current government regained power in August 2021, more than 70 decrees have been issued against women and girls in Afghanistan, effectively removing them from public life. The United Nations agency emphasized that Afghanistan is the only country in the world where girls are not allowed to receive education beyond the sixth grade or attend universities. Furthermore, UNESCO noted that under the current regime, female journalists in Afghanistan are gradually being excluded from journalism, with over 80% of female reporters and media workers losing their jobs in the past four years. The report also references the government's morality law, which prohibits the publication of images of living beings in the media and the broadcasting of women's voices on the radio. This UN agency has deemed the right to education non-negotiable and has urged the international community to continuously demand the immediate and unconditional reopening of schools and universities for girls and women in Afghanistan. Since regaining control over Afghanistan, the caretaker government has imposed extensive restrictions on the rights and fundamental freedoms of women, depriving them of education and work. These actions by the current government have resulted in millions of schoolgirls missing out on education. Additionally, women have been banned from attending sports clubs, restaurants, public baths, being examined by male doctors, traveling without a male guardian, working in domestic and international NGOs, and even in UN offices in Afghanistan.