Pakistan, Tajikistan Envoys Discuss Joint Anti-Terror Strategy

The UN agency stressed that conditions are even worse for those returning from Iran and Pakistan.

According to the report, since 2021 returning women’s access to essential services has sharply declined. Data shows that 21 precent of returnee women struggle to access clean water, compared with 14 precent among non-returnees. In addition, 22 percent face barriers to public health care, while 28 percent encounter obstacles to receiving legal services.

UNHCR said returning women are more isolated and face greater psychological stress. Only 19 percent said they have daily contact with other women, while 40 precent described their mental health as “very poor.”

Critical Situation for Female-Headed Households

The report said female-headed households carry heavier burdens. Sixty-one percent reported working long hours that damage their wellbeing, while food insecurity was higher than in male-headed households.

The absence of identity documents was identified as one of the biggest barriers to integration. Two out of three families said their members lacked property or civil documents. Requirements for women to be accompanied by a male guardian, along with limited knowledge of administrative processes, were cited as major obstacles to obtaining identity papers.

The report also found that women have minimal representation in local structures, with most decisions made by men. Returnee families reported facing more threats, denial of services and discrimination compared with host communities.

UNHCR warned that many cases of domestic violence and forced marriage go unreported, with women more likely to seek help from local elders or relatives rather than from courts or police.

Girls Allowed to Study Are Dropping Out

The report said girls’ access to education has declined significantly. Overcrowded schools, long travel distances and early marriage were identified as major causes of dropout. Under Taliban rule, girls are permitted to study only from grades one to six.

UNHCR said that addressing these challenges requires working with local councils and religious leaders, raising awareness, strengthening referral services, creating support networks, providing women-focused legal services and cash assistance, expanding psychosocial support, and creating livelihood opportunities in cooperation with the private sector.

Many international organisations have blamed the Taliban for this situation, stressing that the group’s restrictions on women’s education, work and freedom of movement have paralysed their daily lives.

Reports have consistently noted that Afghanistan is currently among the worst countries in the world for women, where the fundamental rights of half the population are systematically violated.

The group’s Supreme Court said 14 men in Kabul were convicted by a primary court of selling or smuggling narcotic tablets. Each received between 20 and 39 lashes and prison terms ranging from 10 months to three and a half years.

In a separate case in Balkh, a man and a woman were flogged for alleged illicit relations. The court said the punishment was carried out in front of local officials, court staff, soldiers and civilians, but did not provide details of the accusations. The Taliban deems any contact between unrelated men and women unlawful and has previously punished people even for phone conversations.

On Tuesday, the group flogged another man and woman in Laghman province for “moral corruption and fleeing home.” Over the past week, at least 31 people, including six women, have been flogged in public across Afghanistan, according to Taliban statements.

International organisations have repeatedly urged the Taliban to end corporal punishment and torture, but the group defends public flogging as an enforcement of Islamic law. The Supreme Court has not provided details on whether those punished had access to fair trials or legal representation.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said Wednesday it could no longer provide safe and equal cash support to men and women at border crossings because female employees were barred from assisting returnees.

The agency said in a statement that it was the reason to temporarily halt UN cash distributions. It urged Afghans returning from Iran and Pakistan not to apply for cash aid until the issue is resolved, adding that it was unclear how long the suspension would last.

UNHCR said other services for returnees at border points would continue and that discussions with Taliban authorities were under way to find a solution.

The halt comes as thousands of Afghans are deported daily from Iran and Pakistan. Aid agencies report that many arrive with no resources and often cannot even afford transport to their home provinces.

For many families, UN cash assistance had been a critical lifeline. International organisations have previously warned that mass deportations risk worsening Afghanistan’s deepening economic crisis under Taliban rule.

The ministry said Haqqani chaired a meeting on 10 September with deputy ministers, directors and department heads to review security issues. In a statement, the ministry quoted him as saying that “efforts must be increased to ensure the individual and social security of the people.”

Haqqani also stressed that building trust among Afghans was essential for the Taliban’s system of governance. He has previously said that strengthening relations with the public forms the foundation of confidence in the group’s rule.

His remarks come as the Taliban faces mounting criticism for its actions, including closing schools and universities to women and girls, imposing sweeping restrictions on women, monopolising power and state institutions, excluding diverse social groups, and disregarding political participation.

The group has also been accused of carrying out reprisals against former security personnel and targeted communities, while enforcing strict laws on the population.

The UN agency said the six-month plan would provide assistance to more than 212,000 children and 400,000 people in Kunar and Nangarhar provinces.

Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF’s representative in Afghanistan, said the situation was critical and stressed that immediate support was needed.

The agency listed its top priorities as providing emergency health services, deploying mobile medical teams, ensuring access to safe drinking water and sanitation, and treating children suffering from malnutrition.

UNICEF said it also planned to deliver emergency financial support to more than 13,000 vulnerable families, offer psychosocial services for children, particularly through female social workers, and set up temporary classrooms until damaged schools can be rebuilt.

The organisation warned that limited access, difficult terrain and cultural restrictions on women pose major challenges to relief operations. It stressed that deploying female staff was essential to guarantee equal access for women and girls.