Afghanistan News

Blast at Afghanistan Shia mosque causes casualties

An explosion ripped through a mosque in Pul-e-Khumri, the provincial capital of north Afghanistan's Baghlan province, on Friday, inflicting casualties, Provincial Director for Information and Culture Asadullah Mustafa Hashimi says.

Afghanistan quake death toll nears 2,500

The death toll from the powerful earthquake that struck Afghanistan on Saturday has risen to 2,445 while more than 9,200 people have been injured, the Xinhua news agency reported. According to the outlet, 13 villages in the Zanda Jan district of Herat have been completely wiped out and many victims remain trapped under the rubble.

Death toll from powerful earthquakes in Afghanistan rises to over 2,000

The death toll from strong earthquakes that jolted western Afghanistan has risen to more than 2,000, a Taliban government spokesman confirmed Sunday. It’s one of the deadliest earthquakes to strike the country in two decades.

Quake in Afghanistan rocks areas in neighboring Iran, no damage or casualties yet

Back-to-back earthquakes have jolted Afghanistan as well as Khorasan Razavi Province in northeastern Iran, but there are no reports of any possible damage in the Iranian province, which borders Afghanistan.

US bent on creating chaos for Afghanistan’s neighbors: Iran envoy

Iran’s ambassador to Afghanistan has stated the United States’ main policy on Afghanistan is to create insecurity and instability for the country’s neighbors.

Uzbekistan president urges aid for Afghanistan

Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has called for international aid for Afghanistan during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly, saying that the country’s frozen assets should be used to address its “acute” humanitarian issues.

Kyrgyzstan warns Afghanistan humanitarian crisis endangering whole region

Speaking at the UN headquarters in New York, Kyrgyzstan’s President Sadyr Zhaparov highlighted instability in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover in 2021.

UN warns human rights in Afghanistan in ‘state of collapse’

The United Nations rights chief has accused Afghanistan's ruling Taliban of a "shocking level of oppression" of women and girls and cautioned that human rights in the Asian country were in a state of collapse.

Iran, Pakistan vow to help establish peace, stability in Afghanistan

Iran’s foreign minister has highlighted the need to support regional initiatives within the framework of neighboring countries to help resolve challenges facing Afghanistan.

UN cautions Afghanistan meth trade increases as Taliban clamps down on heroin

Methamphetamine trafficking in and around Afghanistan has surged in recent years, even as the Taliban have curbed heroin trafficking since taking power, according to a United Nations report on Sunday.

Rights groups denounce Taliban’s new curbs on women

Human rights groups have condemned the Taliban’s latest restrictions on Afghan women’s education and movements. The ruling Taliban administration has recently barred women from visiting one of Afghanistan’s most popular national parks and stopped them from leaving for the United Arab Emirates to study on academic scholarships.

Taliban ban dozens of Afghan female students from boarding flight to Dubai

Members of the Taliban government have prevented 100 female Afghan students who were given a scholarship to study at the University of Dubai from boarding their flight to the UAE.

UN envoy calls on ICC to prosecute Taliban’s gender discrimination

The United Nations global education envoy urged the International Criminal Court to prosecute gender discrimination in Afghanistan by the Taliban rulers.

UN rights experts denounce idea of ‘reformed’ Taliban

More than 30 independent UN human rights experts have called for the international community to recommit to support the people of Afghanistan. They made the call in a statement issued on Monday marking two years since the Taliban took power.

UN warns 21mn in Afghanistan facing severe cuts in relief due to funding gaps

The United Nations humanitarians warn of critical aid funding gaps for more than 21 million people in Afghanistan, saying that some relief has already been trimmed.

Taliban urge foreign envoys to resume activity in Afghanistan

Acting Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met with ambassadors and special representatives from several countries based in Qatar and called on them to reopen their embassies in Kabul.

UN says forced to cut food aid to millions globally over funding crisis

The United Nations has been forced to cut food, cash payments and assistance to millions of people in several countries — including Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen — because of “a crippling funding crisis” that has seen its donations plummet by about half as acute hunger is hitting record levels, a top official has confirmed.

US and Taliban officials to meet in Qatar to discuss security and human rights

US officials are set to meet with representatives of the Taliban and "technocratic professionals" from Afghan ministries during a visit to Qatar's Doha this week, the State Department has said. Both sides will discuss security, narcotics  and women's rights.

Dozens killed, missing in flash flooding in Afghanistan and Pakistan

At least 31 people have been killed and dozens more are missing due to heavy flooding from seasonal rains in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, more than a dozen people died as heavy rains and landslides hit neighbouring Pakistan.

Taliban bans women’s beauty salons in Afghanistan

The Taliban has issued a one-month closure notice to all beauty salons in Afghanistan, in the latest curb on the rights and freedoms of women and girls in the country.

Ex-Iran envoy: Chances of world recognition of Taliban diminishing

Iran’s former ambassador to Afghanistan has said chances of the international community recognizing the Taliban are diminishing.

UN says over 1,000 Afghan civilians killed since Taliban takeover in Afghanistan

More than 1,000 civilians were killed and nearly 2,700 others wounded in Afghanistan since the Taliban took control of the country in 2021, a UN report says.

UN envoy says Afghan women ban makes Taliban recognition “nearly impossible”

The United Nations envoy to Afghanistan and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has said that it will be “nearly impossible” for the international community to recognize the Taliban government as long as restrictions on women and girls remain in place in the war-ravaged country.

UN expert says Taliban treatment of women could be ‘gender apartheid’

A United Nations expert has stated that the treatment of Afghan women and girls by the Taliban could amount to “gender apartheid” as their rights continue to be undermined by the governing authorities. The Taliban have accused the UN of “spreading propaganda against the Islamic Emirate”.

Taliban reject UN report calling Afghan government ‘exclusionary’ and ‘repressive’

The Taliban have condemned as “baseless and biased” a United Nations Security Council report that branded the ruling Afghan administration “highly “exclusionary” and “repressive”.

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