The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said that a number of young people from the southern provinces of Afghanistan participated in an ongoing dialogue to craft a unified vision for the country’s future.
According to UNAMA, these young people expressed concern about the lack of basic human rights, despite being satisfied with security in the country and the reduction of poppy cultivation.
UNAMA said in a statement on Monday, December 2, that the youth of Helmand, Kandahar, Nimroz, Uruzgan and Zabul provinces came together over the course of a year and finally drafted a charter to "engage with [Taliban] government officials and the international community”.
UNAMA has said that the charter constitutes the aspirations of these young people, but did not elaborate further on it.
"While young participants acknowledged positive changes after August 2021, such as improved security and reduced poppy cultivation, [but] they expressed concern about persistent unemployment, limited access to education, lack of basic human rights, and the widespread impacts of climate change," the UN mission wrote.
One of the participants told UNAMA representatives, "Unfortunately, we feel unheard, sidelined, and disappointed, and we are losing hope. We don’t want to merely survive; we want the opportunity to thrive and contribute to the country’s development and future."
According to UNAMA's estimates, three-quarters of Afghanistan's population is under the age of 30. Decades of war, instability, and underdevelopment have affected the youth, especially those in rural areas. According to UNAMA, young people face severe challenges, including unemployment, illiteracy, poverty and social deprivation, and many of them are considering migrating from the country in search of better opportunities.
