The Afghanistan Media Support Organization (AMSO), in a statement, has called the Taliban’s recent decision in Herat to ban the publication of images of living beings a “clear violation of freedom of expression and people’s access to information” and has warned of its consequences.

In a new and controversial move, the Taliban’s Department of Vice and Virtue in Herat province issued an official order on Monday (September 23) during a meeting with local media officials, prohibiting the publication of images of living beings.

Islamic Relief has warned that Afghanistan this year is facing the largest wave of forced returns of refugees in the world; a wave that has brought nearly three million people into the country in the past nine months, with women and children making up a large portion.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has once again called for an end to the ban on girls’ education in Afghanistan.