Zan News: Local sources in Ghor province say that a sick child has died due to heavy snowfall and the blocking of roads to the center of the province. Photo: AP The Death of a Child in Ghor Due to Heavy Snowfall and Blocked Roads January 4, 2025 Zan News Zan News: Local sources in Ghor province say that a sick child has died due to heavy snowfall and the blocking of roads to the center of the province. The sources said on Friday (3 January) that the child died the previous day in the village of "Raghaskan" in the Bala Murghab district of Ghor. According to the sources, due to heavy snowfall and the closure of communication routes between the districts of Ghor and the provincial center, the child could not be transferred to the hospital in time. The Taliban in Ghor have not commented on this matter yet. It is worth mentioning that the road to Bala Murghab district has been blocked for two days due to heavy snowfall. Meanwhile, most highways and roads connecting the districts to the provincial centers have been closed due to the recent snowfall.

Zan News: UN Secretary-General's Spokesman Stéphane Dujarric says engagement with the Taliban will continue "in the current situation and without any change." UN: Engagement with Taliban Continues Without Change, but Human Rights and Women Remain Priorities May 29, 2024 Zan News Zan News: UN Secretary-General's Spokesman Stéphane Dujarric says engagement with the Taliban will continue "in the current situation and without any change." Dujarric emphasized at a press conference on Tuesday (May 28) that the Taliban are "the current rulers of Afghanistan." However, Dujarric clarified that the UN will continue to "continuously and consistently" press the Taliban to respect human rights, especially the rights of women and girls. He also said that the UN will continue to strive to provide more humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people who "have suffered and continue to suffer." Dujarric said that UN Secretary-General António Guterres wants transparency and stability in engagement with Afghanistan. "That's why he has invited representatives of countries for Afghanistan to participate in a Doha meeting in late June. The aim of the meeting is to discuss and debate how the international community can deal with the situation in Afghanistan while prioritizing the human rights of women and girls." It should be noted that the third Doha meeting will be held by the United Nations on June 30 and July 1, and the Taliban have also been invited to attend.

Zan News: In response to criticism regarding the exclusion of women from the third Doha meeting, Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, emphasized that human rights and the rights of women and girls will be highlighted in all discussions. Reaction to Criticism of Excluding Women from Doha Meeting; Dujarric: Women's Rights Will Be Highlighted in All Discussions June 24, 2024 Zan News Zan News: In response to criticism regarding the exclusion of women from the third Doha meeting, Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, emphasized that human rights and the rights of women and girls will be highlighted in all discussions. According to Reuters, on Sunday (June 23), Dujarric stated that the Doha sessions "are part of a process, not a one-time event," and that women and civil society remain part of this process. He added that the purpose of the Doha meeting is to encourage the Taliban to engage with the international community through a coordinated and structured approach for the benefit of the Afghan people. Dujarric noted, "Human rights and the rights of women and girls will certainly be highlighted in all discussions by the United Nations." It is worth mentioning that the third meeting of the special representatives on Afghanistan is scheduled to take place on the 30 June and 1July. Rosemary DiCarlo, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Roza Otunbayeva, the UN Special Representative for Afghanistan, and envoys from various countries will attend this meeting. The Taliban have also announced their readiness to participate, but representatives of civil society and women will not be present at the main meeting. UN officials say discussions with representatives of civil society and women are scheduled to take place a day before and a day after the main meeting. The exclusion of women and civil society representatives from the Doha meeting has faced severe criticism from activists and human rights organizations. Some Afghan citizens abroad have called for a protest to boycott this meeting.

Zan News - Ghor: Residents of Ghor province, who lost their homes and livelihoods due to heavy rainfall and flooding in the first months of the current solar year, are on one hand concerned about the lack of shelter and heating facilities for the winter season, and on the other hand, they complain about the unfair distribution of humanitarian aid under the Taliban's supervision. Photo: EU/ECHO Pierre Prakash via Flickr Flood Victims in Ghor Complain About Unfair Distribution of Humanitarian Aid Under the Taliban February 23, 2025 Ariahn Raya Zan News - Ghor: Residents of Ghor province, who lost their homes and livelihoods due to heavy rainfall and flooding in the first months of the current solar year, are on one hand concerned about the lack of shelter and heating facilities for the winter season, and on the other hand, they complain about the unfair distribution of humanitarian aid under the Taliban's supervision. Fariba, a 43-year-old mother of eight, spends the cold winter nights—when the temperature in this province occasionally drops to minus twenty degrees Celsius—in an old tent without any heating facilities. In an interview with Zan News, she says: "Look at what kind of life we are living, full of misery and hardship. Rain and snow pour through the top of the tent, and the bottom is damp and muddy. We live in these conditions, yet when aid arrives, it doesn’t reach the poor and strangers. The Mullahs [Taliban] give it to their relatives and friends. May God provide for us." Gul Bibi, another flood victim from the Balamarghab district of this province, who is responsible for five children, complains about the unfair distribution of humanitarian aid under the Taliban's supervision. She says that despite being deprived of her rights by the Taliban, she cannot raise her voice to complain because she is a woman. "Because I am a woman, and a widow at that, they take away my rights. A while ago, the Taliban came and inspected everyone's houses. They gave houses to some people they knew, but we are still left out in the cold. I can't even complain because I am a widow woman." On the other hand, a number of women's rights activists in Afghanistan have expressed concern over the cold winter weather and the lack of access to humanitarian aid for flood victims, especially women. Sohaila Mobasher, a women's rights activist, says: "It is true that flood victims are facing a shortage of resources, but women who are the breadwinners of their families must be prioritized because the cold weather and lack of food have put this group at risk of death." This comes as some aid organizations have halted their operations in Afghanistan due to the Taliban's interference in their work and the distribution of humanitarian aid. It is worth noting that the Norwegian Refugee Council recently announced the suspension of its humanitarian activities in 20 countries, including Afghanistan.

Zan News: Dorothy Shea, the acting representative of the United States at the United Nations, stated during a UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Afghanistan that the United States does not trust the Taliban and finds it impossible to normalize relations with the group. Photo: usun.usmission USA: We Do Not Trust the Taliban and Normalizing Relations is Impossible March 11, 2025 Zan News Zan News: Dorothy Shea, the acting representative of the United States at the United Nations, stated during a UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Afghanistan that the United States does not trust the Taliban and finds it impossible to normalize relations with the group. Ms. Shea remarked at the meeting, "We cannot trust a group that in the past held Americans hostage and has a long history of sheltering terrorist groups." She also warned that the security threats emanating from Afghan soil remain a cause for concern and emphasized that the United States is worried about the cross-border activities of ISIS-Khorasan in Afghanistan and Pakistan. She urged the Taliban to take decisive action against ISIS and prevent Afghanistan from becoming a haven for terrorist groups. It is worth noting that the UN Security Council meeting was held yesterday to assess the situation in Afghanistan and the security threats posed by the activities of terrorist groups in the country.

Zan News: Local sources in Ghazni report that Khalid Hanafi, the Taliban's Minister for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, has forbidden journalists in the province from taking photos, citing the group's new law. Social Media Khalid Hanafi Prohibits Journalists from Taking Photos in Ghazni September 9, 2024 Zan News Zan News: Local sources in Ghazni report that Khalid Hanafi, the Taliban's Minister for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, has forbidden journalists in the province from taking photos, citing the group's new law. According to media reports, Hanafi visited Ghazni province on Sunday (September 8th) to oversee and enforce the new law. Sources added that during a meeting in the province, Hanafi banned photography and videography. This comes as articles 17 and 22 of the Taliban's new law on the promotion of virtue and the prevention of vice prohibit the photographing of humans and animals. Previously, the Taliban had banned the painting of human faces and the depiction of animals in various provinces of the country. Following the approval of the new law by the Taliban leader, the activities of national television in Kandahar were halted due to the display of images of living beings. This move by the Taliban has raised concerns among journalists, with some warning that these restrictions could lead to the closure of media outlets in Afghanistan.

Zan News: The Afghanistan Women's History Transformation Movement has issued a statement in response to the Taliban's ban on Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights, from traveling to Afghanistan. Sent to Zan News Afghanistan Women's History Transformation Movement: Richard Bennett is the Voice of Afghanistan's Voiceless August 24, 2024 Zan News Zan News: The Afghanistan Women's History Transformation Movement has issued a statement in response to the Taliban's ban on Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights, from traveling to Afghanistan. In this statement, the movement highlighted Bennett's key role in documenting human rights violations by the Taliban, emphasizing that he has been the voice of Afghanistan's "voiceless" and has spoken out in global forums about the violations of women's rights and human rights in the country by the Taliban and he is "cry of a nation silenced and imprisoned". The statement continues: "Richard Bennett was appointed as the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights after eight months of Taliban control in Afghanistan. He has visited Afghanistan three times and provided well-documented reports on the systematic human rights violations by the Taliban, including gender apartheid, the killing and forced displacement of Hazaras, and the suppression of freedom of speech." The movement added that "Richard Bennett has provided undeniable evidence and documentation for each of his reports. This is what has angered the Taliban, leading them to announce the ban on Richard Bennett's travel to Afghanistan with unfounded reasons." The Afghanistan Women's History Transformation Movement further mentioned global reactions to Bennett's travel ban and emphasized that the people of Afghanistan continue to stand by him with full strength and will continue to cooperate with him in documenting human rights violations.

Zan News: Afghanistan Mission to UN in Geneva say While the world strives for gender equality, an extremist group in Afghanistan has systematically eliminated women from all aspects of society. Afghanistan Mission in Geneva: an Extremist Group has Systematically Eliminated Women from all Aspects of Society May 30, 2024 Zan News Zan News: Afghanistan Mission to UN in Geneva say While the world strives for gender equality, an extremist group in Afghanistan has systematically eliminated women from all aspects of society. In a statement posted on its X page on Tuesday (May 28th), the mission said this serves as a stark reminder of the deep-rooted gender inequalities that persist around the world. The Afghanistan Mission in Geneva welcomed the new recommendation by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) on equality and inclusivity in women's representation in decision-making systems, calling it an important step in the right direction. According to the mission, this initiative will help empower women and ensure that their voices are heard in shaping the policies and laws that affect them. The mission further emphasized the need to continue efforts for gender equality and called for the removal of barriers that prevent women from fully participating in society. It is worth noting that since the Taliban took over Afghanistan, they have imposed severe restrictions on the rights and freedoms of Afghan women and girls. These actions have been described as "gender apartheid" by women and civil society and human rights activists. Women's protest groups and human rights activists in Afghanistan have repeatedly called for the recognition of "gender apartheid" in Afghanistan through demonstrations around the world, and these protests continue.

Zan News: The Activist Union-HRAU has announced its support for referring the case of "terrorist group Taliban" to the International Criminal Court (ICC). Image: Marina Riera/Human Rights Watch The Activist Union-HRAU Supports Referring the Taliban's Case to the International Criminal Court December 1, 2024 Zan News Zan News: The Activist Union-HRAU has announced its support for referring the case of "terrorist group Taliban" to the International Criminal Court (ICC). In a statement issued yesterday, Saturday (November 30), the Union described this action as an effective step toward achieving justice and ensuring that the voices of Afghan women are heard. The statement from the Activist Union-HRAU reads: "The Taliban, during their more than three years of control over Afghanistan, have committed systematic violations of the fundamental rights of women, which constitute crimes against humanity. Addressing this crime and prosecuting its perpetrators is the most fundamental legal response." The Union emphasized that more than three years of experience has shown that the interaction of some countries with the Taliban has emboldened the group. The Activist Union-HRAU asserted that now is the time to bring this "criminal" group to trial. The Union also called for comprehensive proceedings the case at International Criminal Court and stressed that any form of recognition of the Taliban, whether political or legal, must be prevented. According to a report by The Guardian, the Union stated that the crimes of the Taliban are well-documented: "In Taliban prisons, beggar women have been sexually assaulted, and their children have died in prison." The organization stressed that the crimes of the Taliban, which have been systematically ongoing in Afghanistan for more than three years, particularly against women, must be stopped immediately. It is worth noting that recently, six countries, including Chile, Spain, France, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Luxembourg, have referred a case of human rights violations, especially the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan, to the International Criminal Court. Human rights organizations expect the International Criminal Court to thoroughly address this case and bring the Taliban to trial.

Zan News: The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) hosted a special meeting in Vienna focused on education and political participation of Afghan women. Participants at the meeting criticized the Taliban's severe restrictions on women and called for practical actions to support Afghan women and girls. Photo: Micky Kroell/OSCE OSCE: Practical Steps Must Be Taken to Support Afghan Women April 8, 2025 Zan News Zan News: The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) hosted a special meeting in Vienna focused on education and political participation of Afghan women. Participants at the meeting criticized the Taliban's severe restrictions on women and called for practical actions to support Afghan women and girls. The meeting was organized at the initiative of Malta’s Permanent Mission to the UN, in collaboration with the Afghan Embassy and Permanent Mission. Féridun Sinirlioğlu, Secretary General of the OSCE, emphasized in his speech that member states must take concrete and serious steps to ensure the safety and full participation of Afghan women in all aspects of society. He also called for financial support for special initiatives for Afghan women and the facilitation of visa issuance for those involved in OSCE educational programs. He stated: "Only through such support can we ensure that Afghan women continue to access education and transformational resources." Participants at the meeting also underscored the importance of education for women and girls in Afghanistan and their key role in the country's political structure. They described girls’ education as a fundamental tool for empowerment and a pathway toward sustainable peace. Veronique Pepin-Halle, Canada’s representative to the UN, also spoke about the difficult situation of Afghan women, saying: "Afghan women and girls are calling for stronger and more effective action. We cannot remain silent or indifferent to their plight. They have shown extraordinary courage, and we have a duty to stand by them." She added: "Positive transformation requires long-term planning and may take a generation; but collapse can happen in just a few days." This is despite the fact that with the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan, women and girls in the country have been deprived of their rights to education, work, and social participation.