Zan News: The Australian Embassy for Afghanistan announced that Stephanie Copus-Campbell, Australia's Ambassador for Gender Equality, held a discussion with a representative from the UN Women about the situation of women in Afghanistan. Photo: AusMissionAF Australia and UN Representatives Discuss the Situation of Women in Afghanistan December 9, 2024 Zan News Zan News: The Australian Embassy for Afghanistan announced that Stephanie Copus-Campbell, Australia's Ambassador for Gender Equality, held a discussion with a representative from the UN Women about the situation of women in Afghanistan. The embassy posted on its official X page on Monday (December 9), stating that the conversation focused on the widespread human rights and humanitarian challenges faced by women and children in Afghanistan. The Australian Embassy described the discussion as a "lively discussion." This comes after the Australian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had previously reacted to the closure of medical institutes to women and girls by the Taliban, stating that this action by the Taliban had removed one of the few remaining opportunities for education and employment for women.

Zan News - Paktia: A landslide in the Jani Khel district of Paktia province has claimed the lives of seven members of a family, including two women and five children. 7 Members of a Family Die in a Landslide in Paktia June 24, 2024 Zan News Zan News - Paktia: A landslide in the Jani Khel district of Paktia province has claimed the lives of seven members of a family, including two women and five children. Taliban-controlled media reported that the incident occurred late yesterday, Sunday (June 23). According to the report, the victims include two women and five children. It is worth mentioning that this is not the first time such incidents have claimed lives in Afghanistan. This year, several similar incidents have resulted in multiple fatalities and significant financial losses. In addition to landslides, heavy rainfall and floods have also caused severe casualties this spring.

Zan News: The World Food Programme (WFP) announced that in 2023, it distributed humanitarian aid to 18.6 million people across Afghanistan, including 9.3 million women and girls. Image by: WFP/Marco Di Lauro World Food Programme Assisted Over 9 Million Women in Afghanistan in 2023 July 31, 2024 Zan News Zan News: The World Food Programme (WFP) announced that in 2023, it distributed humanitarian aid to 18.6 million people across Afghanistan, including 9.3 million women and girls. In a published report, the organization emphasized that one-third of Afghanistan's population is experiencing hunger. The WFP report highlighted that in their aid process, some of the most vulnerable families, including those headed by women, were prioritized. Over the past nine months, the organization has provided emergency food aid to more than 260,000 people in need in Afghanistan. The cost of this aid, amounting to $3.2 million, was funded by the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund, managed by the Islamic Development Bank and financed by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center. The WFP noted that with the peak hunger years of 2021 and 2022, food security in Afghanistan has slightly improved, primarily due to "large-scale" humanitarian aid. According to UN statistics, 23.7 million people in Afghanistan need humanitarian assistance, with 80 percent of them being women and girls. The World Food Programme had previously warned of the high number of people in need in Afghanistan and the budget shortfall. The organization stated that it could not provide emergency assistance to 11 million people.

Zan News: The Pakistani government has ordered Afghan citizens residing in Islamabad, the country’s capital, and the city of Rawalpindi to leave these areas. According to the directive, holders of the "Afghan Citizenship Card" (ACC) must return to Afghanistan. Photo: AFP Pakistan Orders Afghan Migrants in Islamabad and Rawalpindi to Leave February 2, 2025 Zan News Zan News: The Pakistani government has ordered Afghan citizens residing in Islamabad, the country’s capital, and the city of Rawalpindi to leave these areas. According to the directive, holders of the "Afghan Citizenship Card" (ACC) must return to Afghanistan. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) issued a statement on Saturday (February 1) confirming their awareness of this order. The decision was made following a meeting of Pakistani officials on January 29. Under the new directive, refugees holding ACC cards must immediately leave the capital regions of Islamabad (ICT) and Rawalpindi and return to Afghanistan. Holders of Proof of Registration (PoR) cards are also required to vacate these areas but are permitted to remain in other parts of Pakistan until June 30, 2025. Even refugees whose cases for resettlement in third countries are under review must leave Islamabad and Rawalpindi by March 31. UNHCR has warned that failure to comply with this order may result in detention and forced deportation to Afghanistan. The international body has described this move as "regrettable" and has called for an immediate explanation from the Pakistani government. According to Pakistan’s Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees (CCAR), approximately 2.9 million Afghan citizens are present in Pakistan, with 1.4 million registered and 700,000 undocumented. Earlier reports indicated that 1.45 million migrants hold PoR cards, valid until June 2025. These cards serve as vital identification documents for registered refugees. It is worth noting that Pakistan began a wave of deportations of Afghan nationals in late 2023. During the first phase (November 2023), over 500,000 undocumented migrants were deported. The second phase, focusing on the deportation of ACC cardholders, began in April 2024. Recent reports indicate widespread detentions and deportations, including women and underage children, by Pakistani police.

Zan News: According to a Rukhshana media report, the Taliban's Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Committee in Badakhshan University in new order requiring female students in health institutes to use black Arabic hijabs instead of burqas. Photo by Shabana Farahmand Taliban in Badakhshan Have Replaced Burqa with Black Arab Hijab for Girls October 28, 2024 Zan News Zan News: According to a Rukhshana media report, the Taliban's Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Committee in Badakhshan University in new order requiring female students in health institutes to use black Arabic hijabs instead of burqas. This committee emphasized the necessity of adhering to full coverage, including head-to-toe hijabs and gloves for female students during a visit to health educational institutions today, Monday (October 28). This action by the Taliban has raised significant concerns among students. Masoumeh (a pseudonym), a student at the Ghazanfar Health Institute in Badakhshan province, told the media: "The administration has given us until Saturday to comply with the complete Arabic hijab, also known as the prayer hijab. We have only four days to implement this order among all students. This is a black Arabic hijab, and our hands must also be covered." She added: "This is the last warning from the Taliban's Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice administration. They have warned that if they return due to our hijab again, they will close this institution." These new restrictions imposed by the Taliban have raised concerns about increased social control and reduced individual freedoms in educational environments, putting further pressure on students and staff in these institutions. Meanwhile, the committee has also issued a statement requesting all male students to wear traditional clothing and grow beards. Professors have also been asked to appear in educational settings in accordance with [the Taliban's interpretation of] Islamic and Sharia laws. The statement emphasizes that if wear non-Afghan clothing, professors are obliged to advise students to comply with these guidelines, including wearing traditional clothing and growing beards.

Zan News - Sar-e Pol: Local sources in Sar-e Pol province report that the Taliban have publicly flogged 52 people, including women, in a field trial. 52 People, Including Women, were Publicly Flogged by the Taliban in Sar-e Pol June 5, 2024 Zan News Zan News - Sar-e Pol: Local sources in Sar-e Pol province report that the Taliban have publicly flogged 52 people, including women, in a field trial. The Taliban flogged these individuals on Tuesday (June 4) at the Sar-e Pol Central Stadium in public. Eight of the punished individuals were women. It is reported that these individuals were punished for various charges, including illicit relationships, running away from home, and theft. A day before this action, the Taliban issued a statement inviting the people of Sar-e Pol to go to the stadium to watch the punishment of the accused. Reports indicate that the Taliban allowed people to watch this field trial after conducting body searches and confiscating their smartphones. This comes after the Taliban also flogged five people, including a woman, in Sar-e Pol province about 10 days ago.

Zan News - Nuristan: Two people, including a child, were killed and one other injured in a clash between residents of two villages in Waigal district, Nuristan province. Clash Between Residents of Two Villages in Nuristan Kills Two, Including a Child June 1, 2024 Zan News Zan News - Nuristan: Two people, including a child, were killed and one other injured in a clash between residents of two villages in Waigal district, Nuristan province. Taliban local officials in Nuristan say the incident occurred around 3:00 pm on Thursday (May 30) between residents of the villages of "Arnas and Kalikel" in Waigal district of the province. According to Mujiburrahman, press officer of the Taliban's security command in Nuristan, the cause of the clash was a dispute over grazing land, and the clash lasted for about three hours before being stopped by the intervention of Taliban forces. Mujiburrahman says that one child and one man were killed and one other injured in the clash. The identities of the victims and the injured have not yet been released. The press officer of the Taliban's security command in Nuristan adds that investigations into the incident are ongoing. He did not say anything about the arrest of those involved in the clash between the residents of the two villages. Nuristan is a mountainous province in eastern Afghanistan, where most of the residents rely on livestock, agriculture, and natural resources for their needs. The province has previously witnessed similar clashes between residents of two villages over grazing land and tribal disputes, which have also resulted in casualties.

Zan News: The Taliban flogged five individuals, including one woman, on various charges in the provinces of Takhar and Faryab. Social Media Taliban Flog Five People, Including a Woman, in Takhar and Faryab November 17, 2024 Zan News Zan News: The Taliban flogged five individuals, including one woman, on various charges in the provinces of Takhar and Faryab. The individuals were publicly flogged today, Sunday (November 17), in the Dargad district of Takhar province and in the Pashtunkot and Dawlatabad districts of Faryab province. According to statements released by the Taliban’s Supreme Court, these individuals were accused of "extramarital relations, running away from home, theft, and sodomy," and each of them received 39 lashes. The Taliban stated that the sentences were issued by the group's primary courts in the Dargad district of Takhar and the Pashtunkot and Dawlatabad districts of Faryab. It is worth noting that in the past month, aside from these five individuals, the Taliban have flogged another 90 people, including 13 women, in various provinces of the country on different charges. Since the Taliban’s return to power three years ago, the group has gradually reverted to its 1990s policies, which include the public execution of corporal punishments. International organizations, including the United Nations Human Rights Council, have previously condemned the Taliban's corporal punishments and called for an immediate halt to such practices.

Zan News: The fourth round of the Vienna meeting on Afghanistan is set to take place in Austria, featuring anti-Taliban political and military groups. Fourth Round of Vienna Meeting on Afghanistan will be Held with Anti-Taliban Political and Military Groups June 23, 2024 Zan News Zan News: The fourth round of the Vienna meeting on Afghanistan is set to take place in Austria, featuring anti-Taliban political and military groups. The meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, Monday (June 24), in Vienna, Austria, with the participation of six political parties, military factions, and 22 civil and human rights activists. This session, held on the eve of the third Doha meeting, will see anti-Taliban groups, including the National Resistance Council, the Afghanistan Freedom Front, the National Resistance Front, the Islamic Movement Party, the Islamic Society Party, and the Islamic Unity Party, discuss a specific agenda regarding Afghanistan's future. The topics on the agenda include Afghanistan's political outlook, human rights, terrorism, the economy, and Afghanistan's relations with the international community. The outcomes of this three-day meeting will be announced at a press conference. This meeting occurs as the Taliban attend the third Doha meeting on Afghanistan at the invitation of the United Nations, a move condemned by anti-Taliban groups. The Doha meeting is scheduled for June 30 and July 1, 2024, and has faced significant criticism due to the absence of representatives from Afghan women and political factions.

Zan News: The "Afghanistan Republican Women's Network" has welcomed the United Nations' move to recognize "gender apartheid" in Afghanistan, calling it an important step toward achieving social justice and gender equality. Afghanistan Republican Women's Network Welcomes UN Action to Recognize Gender Apartheid October 6, 2024 Zan News Zan News: The "Afghanistan Republican Women's Network" has welcomed the United Nations' move to recognize "gender apartheid" in Afghanistan, calling it an important step toward achieving social justice and gender equality. In a statement released by this network, this UN action, which criminalizes 'gender-based violence and discrimination' against Afghan women by the Taliban, is considered a milestone in the path to ending the oppression of Afghan women. The network emphasized that the Taliban, through their policies of "gender apartheid," have eliminated women from all aspects of society, isolating them. The network expressed its readiness to document these crimes and called on the international community to promptly recognize this apartheid. They also demanded that Taliban leaders be prosecuted as the main perpetrators of systematic crimes against humanity and war crimes. The Afghanistan Republican Women's Network further urged all human rights organizations to use diplomatic and legal pressure to pave the way for justice and an end to "gender apartheid" in Afghanistan. The statement emphasized the importance of the upcoming UN Human Rights Committee session in October, calling for the initiation of an international criminal case against the Taliban. It warned that any delay in this process would lead to continued human rights violations against Afghan women and undermine the credibility of international institutions.