Photo by ANI via The News Mill The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has announced that in this year alone, more than two million Afghan migrants have returned from Iran and Pakistan to Afghanistan, a figure that includes around 500,000 children. UNICEF has warned that many of these children have returned unaccompanied or separated from their families and are in urgent need of support. According to the agency, by the end of July 2025, more than six thousand unaccompanied or separated children in Afghanistan have been identified, placed under protection, and reunited with their families and relatives. In this regard, UNICEF has launched a project titled “Children on the Move” in collaboration with the European Union, which provides these children with services including food, clothing, bedding, psychological support, and safe spaces for play and social interaction. The aim of this program is to provide immediate assistance and reunification of these children with their families. This comes as the ongoing forced deportation of Afghan migrants from neighboring countries has severely intensified the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and increased the need for urgent humanitarian aid, especially for children.

Photo by Khwahan, via Wikimedia Commons Local sources in Badakhshan province say that a 15-year-old boy in the Kishm district of this province has committed suicide due to domestic violence. Sources told the media on Monday, August 18, that the boy ended his life by hanging himself. According to the sources, the boy was constantly beaten by his father because of harassment from others. It is worth noting that cases of suicide among teenagers and children have previously been reported, and since the Taliban’s return to power, this trend has been increasing.

Photo: AP Photo, via The Independent The Taliban have flogged four individuals, including a woman, on charges of extramarital relations and theft in Chahar Asiab district of Kabul. The Taliban’s Supreme Court announced in a statement on Sunday, August 17, that three of these individuals were each sentenced to three years in prison and 39 lashes, while the fourth person was sentenced to one year in prison and 39 lashes. The implementation of these punishments comes as Amnesty International, just a day earlier, once again urged the Taliban to end corporal punishments, including public flogging, and to adhere to international human rights commitments. Amnesty International stressed that these punishments are often carried out without transparent judicial procedures and without access to legal counsel or support for the victims and their families. The organization warned that victims, especially women, face inhumane conditions, humiliation, and “dehumanization” after punishments such as public flogging. It is worth noting that since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have once again resumed punishments such as flogging and public executions, a move that has drawn strong criticism from international organizations. Despite these condemnations, the Taliban continue to these practices as part of “implementing Islamic Sharia.”

Photo: linkedin On the fourth anniversary of the Fall of Kabul, Canada’s Free Speech Centre issued a statement urging the Canadian government to expand its support for Afghan journalists, both inside the country and in exile. While welcoming Canada’s moral leadership in condemning the Taliban’s repression, the Centre stressed the urgent need to turn principled words into concrete action. According to the statement, four years after Kabul’s collapse, Afghanistan remains one of the most restrictive environments in the world for media. Independent outlets have been dismantled, press freedom extinguished, and civic space completely eliminated. The Free Speech Centre called on the Canadian government to: Facilitate the resettlement of Afghan journalists still stranded in neighboring countries such as Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey; Allocate resources to monitor the situation of journalists still in Afghanistan and support those in exile as they rebuild their lives and continue their advocacy for freedom of expression. The nonprofit, which is entirely volunteer-run, described its core mission as responding to the urgent needs of journalists at risk, particularly those from Afghanistan. Despite limited resources, the Centre has forged strong partnerships in Canada with Journalists for Human Rights, the Canadian Association of Journalists, Canadian Journalists for Free Expression, and publications such as The Walrus. To date, it has organized several high-profile events and provided assistance to hundreds of exiled journalists. Said Najib Asil, Founder and Executive Director of the Free Speech Centre, stated: “On this somber anniversary, we join the Government of Canada in reaffirming our solidarity with the Afghan people. We call on Canada to continue transforming words into action—matching its principled statements with the resources, protections, and diplomatic leadership necessary to safeguard Afghan journalists and defend the right of Afghans to determine their own future.”

Photo: Sanaullah Seiam / AFP via El Periódico While the Taliban celebrate August 15, the anniversary of their return to power, as "Independence Day" through colorful ceremonies and flag parades, working children, school students, and employees of Taliban offices share shocking accounts from the western cities of the country. Working children, government employees, school students, and even street vendors have been drawn into the Taliban’s propaganda lines either by force or in exchange for meager wages. In the Taliban’s dark and grim celebration, working children have been turned into foot soldiers of their propaganda. This group has forced them, either coercively or by paying a few Afghanis, to carry flags that symbolize misogyny and darkness. Habib, a 9-year-old child who sells gum in the Ghor market, told Zan News: "A Talib told me to carry this flag until evening, and he would give me 100 Afghanis. He said if I don’t carry it, I will cause trouble." He is not alone. Hundreds of other children in the western provinces of the country were recruited one day before the Taliban’s ceremony to participate in the parade. Many of them were forced to carry flags in exchange for 50 to 100 Afghanis. Latif, another 12-year-old child who shines shoes in Farah, said: "I said I have work, they said it’s an important day, and if I don’t come, someone else will take my work spot tomorrow. He told me I have to serve my system. He slapped me and said if the flag is not in your hand until evening, I will shoot you with a gun. In the evening, the Talib gave me 50 Afghanis." Photos and videos received by Zan News also show orderly lines of younger flag bearers standing under the scorching sun, without food and without rest, only to beautify the Taliban's propaganda showcase. A large number of those carrying Taliban flags are school students and government employees who have been forced into silence under Taliban threats. Waheed, an eighth-grade student, says that although he hates the Taliban, members of this group came to their classroom on August 14 and warned them that they must participate in their self-declared celebration. He says: "The Taliban told us that all of you must hold a flag on Assad 24 and walk around the market. Anyone who does not participate should have no complaints." The pressure is not only on working children and students; government employees have also revealed threats and coercion to participate. Sohrab, an employee of the Statistics and Civil Registration Department in Nimroz province, said: "We were told we must come, wear formal clothes with a turban, hold a flag in our hands, and chant slogans. If you do not come, your name will be recorded." He adds: "This ceremony is not public, it is fabricated. We come out of fear for our salary and safety. If we were allowed, maybe no one would have come." Another employee from the Herat Directorate of Education, who did not want their name revealed, told Zan News: "Schools are closed, but we were forced to stay at the ceremony with the flags from morning until noon. They did not even allow us to protest." The Taliban are trying to celebrate August 15 as a symbol of "victory" and "independence", but the reality on the ground is something else: exploitation of poverty, threats against government employees, and the instrumental use of children to fill media frames. The Taliban celebrated August 15, but what was hidden under those flags was nothing but poverty, coercion, and the stripping of human dignity.

Sent to Zan TV Written by Sanam Kabiri, Women’s Rights Activist August 15 was not only the day our country surrendered to a terrorist group and our system collapsed, it was also the dark day when the dreams of millions of girls and women in Afghanistan were destroyed. It was the day the system fell, oppression and violence spread everywhere, and our country turned into a house of horror. Those whose hands were stained with the blood of thousands of innocents and who had no trace of humanity came to power. Everywhere I looked, I saw warlords with terrifying faces and clothes, exactly as my grandmother used to describe in stories when I was a child. But this time, I was witnessing that nightmare with my own eyes. August 15 was the repetition of the same black nightmare that took away all my childhood dreams. Just as in the past, when they came to power, they closed the school doors to us and turned schools into war and military shelters, this time too, after twenty-five years, the same nightmare returned. At the very moment my daughter had reached the same age I was in those days, schools and universities were shut down; stoning, executions, and public trials restarted. On Fridays after prayers, executions and public lashings are repeated. Twenty years of women’s achievements were erased. Women were excluded from society and confined to their homes. But these same educated Afghan women, from across the country, came to the streets, protested, and cried out for freedom. However, this terrorist group, through issuing successive decrees and restrictions, increased the pressure on women. They removed women from social and political activities to the extent that they no longer had room to breathe even inside their own homes. Working women were dismissed from their jobs, and unprecedented economic poverty gripped the country; a poverty that continues to this day. This terrorist group turned religion into a tool for the survival of its political power and took Afghan women hostage to its own goals. They distorted all divine and religious rulings to their own benefit; except for rape, murder, sodomy, forced marriage, stoning, execution, and child marriage, they permitted everything for their members. They took away the personal freedoms of our youth and teenagers. They imprisoned, tortured, and exiled the women who defended the rights of their people. Taliban: Took my rights Took my country Took my childhood dreams Took my language And took my identity! The brave women of Afghanistan, over these past four years, with all the sacrifices they have made, have never stopped fighting. They have stood for their rights, justice, and human dignity. An hiding man named “Mullah Hibatullah,” whose physical presence is still uncertain, issues orders every day, and his subordinates enforce these orders, clear violations of human rights, upon the people. Until a popular and inclusive government is established in Afghanistan, the women of this land will continue their struggle. No matter to which corner of the world they are exiled, they will cry out the voices of the women taken hostage.

Sent to Zan TV Written by Tamim Atayee – Afghan Journalist in Exile The Fall of a Flag, the Collapse of a Nation August 15, 2021 was not just the fall of Kabul; it was the day the hope and future of a nation were shattered. With Ashraf Ghani’s escape and the collapse of the Republic, the streets of Kabul were emptied of the sound of freedom, and the white flag of the Taliban was raised over a city that had once been a symbol of the struggle for human rights, democracy, and gender equality. In less than a few hours, the image of women was erased from the walls, the laughter of children fell silent, and schools sank into enforced silence. Kabul, once the host of global conferences on women and peace, became a prison enclosed by ideology. Collapse or Deal? This collapse was not only the result of the weak political structure and the corruption of the previous system, but also a sign of a hidden deal at the regional and global level. Evidence indicates that: The Taliban entered Kabul without fighting. The military hierarchy ordered forces to withdraw. Kabul airport turned into a scene of fleeing government officials and politicians. The people, defenseless and bewildered, watched the return to an era of darkness. Women – The First Victims of the Taliban’s Ideology The fall of the Republic dealt its first and heaviest blow to the women of Afghanistan. In the first weeks: Girls’ schools above the sixth grade were closed. Women were banned from work, sports, art, and even entering parks. Women activists were arrested, tortured, raped, or disappeared. Brain Drain – Migration Out of Necessity After the fall, an unprecedented wave of migration by elites, academics, journalists, and civil society activists began: Thousands of Afghans left the country in the first months. Universities were left without professors, and scientific centers without specialists. Independent media outlets were shut down or brought under Taliban control. Kabul airport, which became a scene of people clinging to airplanes, turned into a symbol of absolute despair. The Project to Whitewash the Taliban – A Betrayal of the Truth Amid the intensifying humanitarian crisis, some governments and international figures attempted to portray the Taliban as “normal”: Holding staged peace conferences with the Taliban. Visits by foreign figures such as Cheryl Benard, who described Afghanistan as “safe” for women. Circulation of promotional videos by tourists. These efforts, coupled with the deadly silence of international institutions, effectively contributed to legitimizing a repressive regime. Education System – Engineering an Obedient Generation The Taliban have turned education into a tool for reproducing their extremist ideology: Removing scientific subjects such as physics, chemistry, and social sciences, or altering their content based on an extremist interpretation of Sharia. Closing girls’ schools and dismissing female teachers. Promoting a generation without questions, without women, and obedient to the Emirate’s structure. Migrants – Victims Once Again Millions of Afghans, after the fall, faced a new crisis in neighboring countries and Europe: Forced deportation and discrimination in Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey. Suppression of voices and civil activities in Turkey. Years of uncertainty in European asylum cases. Abandonment of thousands of Afghan collaborators with international forces in the United States. Conclusion – Keeping the Collective Memory Alive August 15 must be remembered as the day when not only a political system but also human values in Afghanistan collapsed. Forgetting this day would be a betrayal to future generations. The Taliban may have raised their flag over the Presidential Palace, but in the hearts of thousands of women and men, the Republic, education, and the dream of freedom are still alive.

Photo: ORF via eunews Simon Harris, the Deputy Prime Minister of Ireland, on the fourth anniversary of the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban, said that with the return of this group to power, the human rights situation in Afghanistan has worsened, with women, girls, and minorities suffering the most. On Friday, August 15, in a statement, he emphasized that Afghan women and girls are suffering severely and have been forced to live behind closed doors. According to him, they have lost their basic rights to education, work, freedom of movement, and access to services. Harris added that extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, torture, and arbitrary arrests have become daily threats for the people of Afghanistan. He also, referring to the Taliban’s conduct, said that this group operates without legitimacy, imposes a system of gender oppression, and silences the voices of dissent and independent media. The Deputy Prime Minister of Ireland called on the international community not to normalize relations with the Taliban’s “violent and authoritarian” regime. He noted that Ireland has provided four million euros in humanitarian aid to the United Nations to assist needy people inside Afghanistan and Afghan refugees in the region.

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.

Sent to Zan TV On the fourth anniversary of the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban, members of the Afghanistan Women’s Movement in Exile, by holding a gathering in Pakistan, described the four years of Taliban rule as “an era of oppression, discrimination, ignorance, and the systematic elimination of women.” In this gathering, the protesting women emphasized that August 15 is not only a symbol of the fall of a political system, but also the beginning of a dark era for millions of Afghan women and girls. An era marked by the closing of schools and universities, the removal of women from society and work, and the suppression of ethnic and religious minorities. The resolution of this gathering stated: “We warn that any recognition of the Taliban means legitimizing gender apartheid and betraying justice and human rights.” In its resolution, this movement called for immediate action from the international community and stressed that reopening schools and universities for girls must be one of the preconditions for any engagement with the Taliban. It also demanded the creation of a monitoring and protection mission for ethnic and religious minorities, the cessation of systematic discrimination based on language, religion, and ethnicity, and practical, security, and legal support for human rights defenders, journalists, women, and Afghan refugees as among the urgent demands of this gathering. The Afghanistan Women’s Movement in Exile also called for stopping the forced deportation of refugees from neighboring countries and asked international institutions to refer the case of Taliban crimes, especially crimes against women, to international authorities and the International Criminal Court (ICC). They emphasized that all international aid to Afghanistan must be conditional on respect for human rights and full monitoring by impartial institutions. The protesting women stressed that until justice, equality, freedom, and the establishment of a democratic system are achieved, they will continue their civil struggle and called on the international community not to be mere listeners but true supporters and companions of the voices of Afghan women.