UN Secretary-General spokesperson Farhan Haq said Taliban forces used live ammunition to disperse a civil protest in Herat. He urged the Taliban to refrain from any unnecessary or disproportionate use of force against peaceful demonstrations.
Speaking at a press briefing in New York on Wednesday, June 10, Haq said the United Nations is calling for an environment in which all Afghans, particularly women and girls, can safely and freely access essential services and humanitarian assistance, including healthcare, nutrition, education and protection services.
Citing assessments by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Haq said dozens of women and girls had been detained in Herat in recent days for allegedly failing to comply with the Taliban’s strict dress code regulations. He noted that some of those detained were healthcare workers.
The UN mission in Afghanistan said on Wednesday that at least 30 women were detained by the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Herat between June 7 and 8 on accusations of violating dress code instructions. According to the UN, dozens of other women received verbal warnings.
UNAMA also confirmed that at least one teenage boy was killed by Taliban gunfire and several others were injured after being beaten.
The mission said reports of a second death are still being verified.
During his remarks, the UN spokesperson also expressed concern about the violence and detention of women and girls, as well as the escalation of tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
