In a report issued on April 29, 2024, the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHCR) highlighted the escalating human rights crisis in Afghanistan following the resurgence of the Taliban.
The report presents a grim portrayal of widespread physical, psychological, and sexual exploitation endured by Afghans living under Taliban control.
Violations of international humanitarian law have intensified, with incidents of extrajudicial killings, torture, enforced disappearances, and arbitrary detentions becoming increasingly frequent.
Former members of the Afghanistan National Security Forces have faced significant casualties, with an estimated 800 personnel killed.
However, the Taliban’s brutal tactics spare no one, targeting government officials, journalists, activists, and minority groups alike.
Between January 2022 and July 2023, the UN documented over 1,600 cases of human rights abuses, including more than 43 instances of corporal punishment. Shockingly, even children have been subjected to floggings.
Press freedom has been severely restricted, with over 200 violations recorded since August 2021, including the detention, physical assault, and arrest of journalists.
The Taliban’s dismantling of legal institutions and imposition of their own judicial system have further undermined Afghanistan’s already fragile legal framework.
The Taliban’s policies have plunged Afghanistan into economic chaos, with more than half the population living below the poverty line and millions facing shortages of food and water.
Despite urgent humanitarian needs, the Taliban has diverted resources to terrorist activities, worsening the suffering of ordinary Afghans.
Access to education has been severely restricted under Taliban rule, particularly for women and girls, who face barriers to schooling beyond the sixth grade. NGOs providing educational programs have been prohibited, depriving thousands of Afghan children of learning opportunities.
The situation for women and girls under Taliban rule is particularly dire, with forced marriages, restrictions on employment, and a collapsed healthcare system leading to a rise in suicides among Afghan girls.
Minority communities, such as the Hazara, continue to endure persecution, displacement, and targeted violence, with hundreds killed and injured under Taliban rule.
Despite repeated appeals from the international community, the Taliban have shown no willingness to address the deteriorating human rights situation in Afghanistan, leaving millions of Afghans in urgent need of assistance and protection.
