Returning Afghan Women Face Severe Discrimination, Says UN

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.

Ahmad Massoud, leader of the National Resistance Front and son of the late commander, said political infighting only benefits the Taliban.

“The enemy succeeds when opposition groups become preoccupied with fighting one another,” he said. Massoud stressed the importance of a “battle of narratives” against the Taliban, accusing the group of trying to undermine the resistance by fuelling internal rifts.

“We are bound to fight for freedom and we do not accept defeat or surrender,” he said, adding: “No tyranny lasts forever, and the Taliban’s brutality will also come to an end.”

Marshal Abdul Rashid Dostum, leader of the National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan, said in a message: “To die in bed is a disgrace for me.” He vowed to see the Taliban regime overthrown, saying tyranny is short-lived and would eventually bow to the will of the people.

Mohammad Mohaqiq, leader of the People’s Islamic Unity Party of Afghanistan, also criticised the lack of unity among Taliban opponents, urging political factions to accept one another.

Former Vice President Sarwar Danish called for a sustainable solution to Afghanistan’s crisis. He warned that without serious reflection on the future, the post-Taliban era could mirror the chaos that followed the Mujahideen victory and the 2001 Bonn Conference.

Mohammad Omar Daudzai, a former interior minister, said the stature and legitimacy of Ahmad Shah Massoud had only grown stronger with time. He also criticised Taliban activists’ behaviour on social media, accusing them of insulting opponents with harsh language that defies Afghan cultural norms.