Taliban’s FM & Hamas Political Bureau Chief Discuss Gaza

According to the survey, 45 percent of respondents said that to improve the situation for women in the country, the international community should facilitate direct dialogue between them and the Taliban.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) conducted the survey by interviewing 888 women in 33 provinces and 64 men in 14 provinces. This report was republished on Wednesday, July 24, on UNAMA's X account.

Based on this survey, 80 percent of women said that they had no interaction with Taliban officials in the past three months, while 16 percent said they had.

At least 53 percent of men, however, reported meeting with local Taliban officials at least once during the three-month period.

Only two percent of women reported having "good" or "full" influence over decision-making processes in the community, compared to 18 percent of men. Women emphasised that they are excluded from public meetings and are unable to directly discuss their issues with local Taliban officials.

The UNAMA survey also indicated that only three to seven percent of women have access to formal and informal dispute resolution mechanisms, whereas 50 percent of men benefit from these mechanisms.

Sixty-four percent of women surveyed said that they "never" feel safe when left alone at home. For men, this figure is two percent. Men stated that they feel less secure when they leave home with a female family member.

In the UNAMA survey, both women and men called on the international community to establish formal mechanisms to ensure women's participation in international meetings related to Afghanistan's future.

Respondents believe that this can be achieved by allocating 50 percent of quota of Afghan delegations to women, ensuring women's presence at any discussion tables related to Afghanistan, or forming an advisory body of women for the international community.

According to him, this action was taken following public demand and under the orders of judicial authorities.

The IRIB news agency reported on Wednesday that the owners of these houses and those involved in renting residential units to "illegal" Afghans have been referred to judicial authorities after cases were filed against them.

Amir-Ahmadi explained, "According to the law, any transfer and contract arrangement, including renting, selling, and dealing with unauthorised foreign nationals, is prohibited and illegal in Taybad County."

On the other hand, Afghan migrants are reporting attacks on them in recent days.

Following the news of an Iranian citizen's death after a conflict with three Afghan migrants, some migrants in Tehran have reported widespread mistreatment by locals in the eastern part of the capital.

An Afghan migrant from eastern Tehran said that his family does not dare to leave their home for work or shopping.

Recently, videos have been sent to Afghanistan International showing what the senders claim are attacks on Afghan migrants in eastern Tehran.

Disturbing images have reached us, showing migrants severely injured in these attacks, according to the senders.

According to the General Directorate of Foreign Nationals and Immigrants of Razavi Khorasan province, after Tehran, which has the highest number of foreign migrants, Mashhad has nearly 400,000 identified foreign citizens with identification documents and nearly 300,000 unidentified foreign citizens. No international organisation has confirmed these figures yet.

Previously, the Director General of Foreign Nationals and Immigrants Affairs in Kermanshah province announced the prohibition of residence, and employment of Afghan migrants in 16 provinces.

The provinces where Afghans are prohibited from residing and working include East Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan, Ardabil, Zanjan, Kurdistan, Kermanshah, Ilam, Lorestan, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Gilan, Mazandaran, Sistan and Baluchistan, Hormozgan, and Hamedan.

In October this year, more than 540 Iranian artists, lawyers, doctors, journalists, and civil and social activists called for an end to the harassment of Afghan migrants in Iran.

They stated that Iran's legal system has, in recent years, created significant obstacles and challenges to integrating migrants into the host society.

Ahmad Zia, the Deputy Spokesperson of the Taliban's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, wrote in a statement on Tuesday that Javanbakht, has led a delegation to Kabul.

This Taliban foreign ministry official added, "The head of the Iranian delegation confirmed that a significant amount of water rights from the Helmand River has been secured this year and expressed hope to receive more water by the end of the year."

The Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not comment on the purpose of the Iranian delegation’s visit.

According to Zia, the Taliban’s Foreign Minister also promised during this meeting that if water is available, he would make efforts to ensure sufficient water flows towards Iran.

Muttaqi informed the Iranian delegation that the Kajaki Dam in Helmand has lost 45% of its capacity due to sedimentation.

Earlier, Siavash Akbari, an Iranian official in Sistan & Balochistan province of Iran, had stated that Afghanistan, by constructing the Kamal Khan Dam, has made Iran's access to the Helmand River water difficult and irregular. He added that the Iranian Ministry of Energy has plans for securing and transferring drinking and clean water.

He emphasised on the need to eliminate distrust and disunity from within the Taliban.

Mujahid made these remarks on Tuesday at a graduation ceremony for students of the Technical and Vocational Education Administration in Kabul.

Mujahid and Taliban’s Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani are senior figures within the Taliban who reportedly have disagreements with other officials over the group's policies. Despite these reports, they have stressed on the importance of unity and obedience to Mullah Hibatullah, the Taliban leader.

Unity and obedience are prominent themes in the speeches of the group's leader. In late June, Mullah Hibatullah expressed concern over internal differences within the Taliban in an audio message during Eid.

The Taliban leader stated that he was willing to step down from the leadership if it would resolve the group's disputes.

Earlier, the US-based Brookings Institution reported serious disagreements among Taliban leaders regarding the group's policies.

In that report, Mullah Hibatullah was described as an uncompromising and dogmatic figure, while Mullah Yaqoob was portrayed as a pragmatic personality who would be easier for the West to work with.

Previously, the International Research Council for Religious Affairs Pakistan reported in June that the Taliban have ideological, tribal, regional, and organisational differences among themselves, indicating that they are not a united group.

He dismissed the possibility of the Taliban accessing US aid to Afghanistan as incorrect and told reporters that the US does not financially assist the Taliban.

On Monday, July 22, during a press briefing, the US State Department spokesperson did not respond to a reporter's question regarding the weapons left behind by the US in Afghanistan but stated, "When it comes to the US funding of the Taliban, no, we flatly do not fund the Taliban."

Recently, SIGAR reported that the US State Department has failed to review the activities of institutions using $293 million in US aid to Afghanistan.

This body mentioned that the Taliban might have benefited from these funds.

SIGAR stated that the United States has provided over $17 billion in aid to Afghanistan since August 30, 2021.

The US policy after withdrawing from Afghanistan has focused on engagement with the Taliban, and so far, there has been no indication of a willingness to support military forces opposing the Taliban.

However, US citizens are against financial aid to the Taliban, and recently thousands, mostly US citizens, have signed a petition to cut financial assistance to the Taliban.

On Tuesday, Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban's Foreign Minister, criticised the international community and neighbouring countries, stating that it is "laughable" that the world only issues orders but does not cooperate.

Without mentioning the millions of dollars in aid from the US and the international community to Afghanistan over the past three years, he said that the international community and neighbouring countries have not fulfilled their responsibilities towards Afghanistan.