German Foreign Minister: Human rights violations in Afghanistan have become part of daily life

Photo: dts Nachrichtenagentur / unternehmen-heute.de

Johann Wadephul, the German Foreign Minister, on the fourth anniversary of the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban, said that with the return of this group to power, the lives of the Afghan people, especially women and girls, have been completely transformed.

On Friday, August 15, in a statement, he emphasized that the Taliban’s return to power has been “a bitter turning point” particularly for women and girls, marking the beginning of a life without freedom, education, and career prospects for them.

Wadephul added that since then, the Taliban have further restricted the rights of women and minorities, and serious human rights violations have once again become part of the daily lives of citizens.

The German Foreign Minister stated that the Taliban’s return to the international community will not be possible without adherence to international commitments and respect for the human rights of the Afghan people.

He also described the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan as alarming, saying that more than half of the country’s population does not have sufficient access to food, clean drinking water, and health services, and that children and pregnant women suffer from severe malnutrition.

He noted that Germany has allocated 5.8 million euros in immediate humanitarian aid to address this crisis. This aid will be distributed through the United Nations and international organizations and will not pass through Taliban-controlled channels.

The German Foreign Minister also expressed concern over the situation of Afghans who have been accepted by the German government but are still in Pakistan, stating that they face the risk of deportation.

He stressed that the German government is engaged in high-level talks with Pakistani officials to protect these individuals and to provide immediate assistance to those who have recently been detained or deported.

It is worth mentioning that after the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan, Germany promised to accept a large number of Afghan citizens. However, four years later, many of these individuals still remain in limbo in Pakistan, awaiting relocation.

In recent weeks, reports have emerged indicating that Pakistani police have detained and forcibly deported some of these refugees, while others face a serious risk of arrest and deportation.