It was a rainy day, and Raihan, while gazing out the window at the birds perched on the tree, was thinking about her dreams and wishes. She had no idea whether she would ever achieve them or not.

In the silent streets of Kabul, where women’s performances once echoed before the camera, a heavy silence now fills the air. Afghan women actresses, who had managed to enter the world of art despite years of social and cultural pressure, have once again been pushed to the margins. Through their anti-women restrictions, the Taliban appear to have turned time backwards.

The World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that hunger in Afghanistan is worsening, with malnutrition among children rising rapidly.

Gilles Bertrand, the European Union’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan, has described the human rights situation in the country, particularly for women, as worrying at the end of his six-day visit to Kabul.