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Photo: SkyNews Sky News has reported that the child malnutrition crisis in Badakhshan province has reached a point where one child dies every three days. According to the report, published on Tuesday (October 7), 53 children have died at the Badakhshan public hospital since the beginning of this year. This figure represents a 50 percent increase compared to last year. Doctors at the Badakhshan public hospital have warned that the number of child deaths is rising. Sky News, citing UN agencies, said that the nutritional situation across Afghanistan has worsened, with 4.7 million women and children in urgent need of treatment for malnutrition. The report also states that 90 percent of children under the age of five in Afghanistan live in food poverty. Daniel Timme, a UNICEF spokesperson, said: “The nutrition situation of children in Afghanistan is extremely serious. More than 3.5 million children under the age of five suffer from acute malnutrition, including 1.4 million children who are severely wasted.” Meanwhile, today the Taliban also announced in Panjshir province that nearly six thousand women and children there are suffering from malnutrition; an indication of the expanding hunger crisis across the country.

GoogleImage Social media users in Afghanistan have reported that access to the social media platform Instagram has been blocked in the country. Local sources told Zan News on Tuesday (October 7) that they can only access the platform using a VPN. The sudden blockade has sparked widespread reactions among users. Some local sources and online users say the move may be part of the Taliban’s new restrictions on the media and efforts to control the flow of information. While access to Facebook and a number of other platforms had previously been disrupted, Instagram has now been added to the list of restricted networks in Afghanistan. Many users are concerned that this action is part of the Taliban’s new policy to limit freedom of expression and tighten control over the digital space in the country. The Taliban have not yet provided any explanation for the reason behind this restriction.

Photo: Getty Images via BBC The Taliban’s Department of Information and Culture in Panjshir has announced that nearly six thousand women and children in this province are suffering from malnutrition. According to the department’s statement, 5,925 cases of malnutrition have been recorded in Panjshir during the first six months of the current year. Dr. Hijatullah Mohammadi, the Taliban’s Director of Public Health in the province, said that among these cases, 4,244 children and 1,681 pregnant women have been affected by severe or moderate malnutrition. He stated that so far 3,639 children have been treated, while the rest are under medical care. Mohammadi added that pregnant women are also receiving treatment through 35 health centers in the Rokha, Anaba, and central districts of Panjshir. He emphasized that the Panjshir Public Health Department, in cooperation with the Taliban’s Ministry of Public Health and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), is working to prevent further deterioration of the situation. These figures are released as international organizations continue to warn about the worsening hunger and malnutrition crisis across Afghanistan. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 15 million people in the country are facing acute food insecurity. UNICEF also estimates that in 2025, more than 875,000 children and 650,000 women across Afghanistan will require immediate treatment for severe malnutrition.

Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown Sima Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women, says that despite the Taliban’s severe repression and restrictions, Afghan women still hope that one day they will achieve their dreams. Bahous made these remarks on Monday (October 6) during a United Nations Security Council meeting focused on “Women, Peace, and Security,” stating: “Their hope is not an idle wish, and it is more than a coping mechanism. It is a political statement. A conviction. An inspiration.” She added that according to findings by UN Women, 92 percent of Afghans, including men, support girls’ access to education. The Executive Director of UN Women warned that global funding cuts threaten educational opportunities for Afghan girls. She called for urgent investment in women-centered institutions and for ensuring women’s participation in decision-making processes and peace negotiations. The Security Council meeting, titled “Women Lead, Peace Follows,” focused on the role of women in building peace in conflict-affected countries from Afghanistan to Gaza and Sudan. Bahous’s remarks came a day after the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution establishing an independent accountability mechanism in Afghanistan; a body mandated to document human rights violations by the Taliban and refer the perpetrators to international courts.

Social Media Local sources in Kunduz province say that the Taliban have once again cut off fiber-optic internet in this province. According to the sources, access to the internet was halted without any explanation from the Taliban on Monday evening (October 6). Residents of Kunduz, expressing concern, say that this action has disrupted people’s daily activities in economic, educational, cultural, and artistic sectors and has cut off their communication with other parts of the country and the world. The repeated internet shutdowns by the Taliban in various provinces have become a recurring pattern; an action many describe as an attempt to prevent protests, control information, and silence any opposing voices.

Photo: Reuters via VOANews Local sources in Herat province say that on Friday (October 3), forces of the Taliban’s Department for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice arrested a female doctor because of her dress code on the 64-meter road in the city of Herat. One of the doctor’s relatives, who did not want to be named for security reasons, told Zan News: “The staff of the Department for the Promotion of Virtue first told her why part of her hair was visible. The doctor responded that this matter does not concern you. The Taliban left the area but returned half an hour later with a Ranger vehicle and arrested her. She is currently in prison.” This incident comes as the Taliban have recently, as part of their restrictive policies against women, also arrested a number of female bloggers, civil activists, and other women active in social spheres. Human rights activists say such actions by the Taliban are part of a targeted plan to systematically eliminate women from public life and silence their social presence.

Photo: AP via VOANews Local sources in Herat province say that a journalist has been arrested by the Taliban’s Department for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice forces. According to one of the sources, the journalist was detained on Monday morning (October 6) around 11 a.m. while preparing a video report in the Mis-garan’ market of Herat city. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said that Taliban forces cited the reason for his arrest as “publishing images of living beings.” Over the past four years, the Taliban have imposed severe restrictions on media freedom, particularly on visual reporting and the publication of images of living creatures, an action repeatedly condemned by domestic and international organizations.

Image: UN Photo/Elma Okic The United Nations Human Rights Council, by adopting a resolution, announced the establishment of an independent mechanism to ensure accountability and investigate widespread human rights violations in Afghanistan. The Council adopted the resolution on Monday (October 6) during a session, without a vote and without opposition from any country. According to the resolution, the new mechanism is tasked with collecting and documenting evidence related to war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other serious human rights violations, identifying the perpetrators of these crimes, and preparing case files that can be used in national and international courts for prosecution. The resolution was proposed by the European Union to the Human Rights Council and was adopted with broad support from various countries. This move has been described as an important step toward ending impunity for perpetrators of crimes in Afghanistan. Human Rights Watch welcomed the adoption of the resolution, calling it “a historic step toward justice for Afghan victims.” Fereshtah Abbasi, a researcher at the organization, said: “It is crucial for the new mechanism to begin work as soon as possible so that it can start collecting and preserving evidence and preparing case files on those responsible for international crimes in Afghanistan.” According to Human Rights Watch, the scope of the investigation will not be limited to the Taliban but will also cover human rights violations committed by former government officials, warlords, and foreign forces. The organization emphasized that the new mechanism will focus on documenting widespread violations of the rights of women and girls, including their deprivation of education and work. The adoption of this resolution comes four years after the Taliban’s return to power, while Afghanistan continues to witness the systematic suppression of women, media, and widespread human rights violations.

Social media The Taliban in Herat have arrested a woman on charges of stealing 3 million Afghanis. The Taliban’s police command in Herat announced in a statement on Monday (October 6) that the group’s forces identified and arrested the woman in the ninth district of Herat city. According to the spokesperson of the Taliban police command, the stolen money was returned to its owner after an investigation, and the suspect’s case has been handed over to judicial and legal institutions for further investigation. The Taliban have not provided additional details regarding the identity of the arrested woman or how the theft was carried out.

Image: BULENT KILIC/AFP Four years have passed since the fall of the republic and the return of the Taliban, four years in which each day serves as a reminder of deception, ignorance, and violence. Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman, in his latest interview with Sky News, claimed that the group faces “no problem of legitimacy” and that many countries have “unofficially” recognized them. But the reality is that the Taliban have neither legitimacy nor the capacity to govern. No country except Russia has so far recognized this misogynistic and human rights–violating regime. The international community still regards the Taliban as a regressive group that engages with the world only to prolong its grip on power. The Lie of Legitimacy The Taliban seek to repair their image before the world through political performances and deceptive words, but legitimacy cannot be purchased through secrecy. Legitimacy has meaning only when girls can study, the media are free, and people can speak without fear, not when Kabul sinks into darkness and silence. Internet Blackout; The Suffocation of Awareness The 48-hour internet shutdown across Afghanistan, which caused the closure of banks and paralyzed people’s daily lives, was not a “technical failure” but a deliberate act to silence the voice of the people. The Taliban fear awareness -fear that people may see, read, and understand. From women who consider online education their last hope to journalists in exile who struggle to be the voice of the voiceless. Closed School Doors; The Lie of “Afghan Culture” The Taliban spokesman has said: “I cannot make any promises about girls returning to school.” This sentence sums up all of the Taliban’s policies: non-commitment, discrimination, and humiliation. For four years, millions of girls have remained behind closed doors, and the Taliban still claim they are “reviewing the matter.” The truth is that they fear knowledge, because they know that awareness is the greatest enemy of ignorance. Ban on Medical Education; An Assault on Women’s Lives The Taliban have also banned women from studying medicine and nursing. In a country where women die during childbirth, the Taliban claim that “we have enough female doctors.” This is not only a sign of illiteracy but also evidence of cruelty. They are stripping women even of the right to life. As a result, the Taliban’s Emirate of darkness, under the name of religion, is committing one of the greatest crimes against humanity. They have turned Islam into a political weapon and dragged Afghanistan into a prison of silence. Yet no regime built on ignorance, lies, and repression has ever endured. The day will come when the voices of girls will once again echo through the classrooms, and history will remember the Taliban not as a government, but as a religious and human catastrophe. Author: Tamim Attaiy