Image credit: John Jameson / Office of Communications, Princeton University Princeton University in the United States has announced that it will host a panel focused on the situation in Afghanistan, particularly the status of women after the Taliban’s return to power. According to a statement published on the university’s official website on Tuesday (15 July), the event is scheduled to take place on August 5 and will feature a keynote speech by Adela Raz, former Afghan ambassador to the United States. Princeton University stated that the program is being organized in collaboration with the “Afghanistan Policy Lab” and the Central Asia Institute. The university’s announcement says that the aim of the event is to raise bipartisan awareness about the educational initiatives of the Central Asia Institute and to provide a broader understanding of the struggle for Afghan women’s rights, both inside the country and in exile. Adela Raz is expected to speak at the panel about U.S. policy toward Afghanistan and the challenges Afghan women face both domestically and in exile. This comes as, following the Taliban’s return to power, women and girls in Afghanistan have been deprived of their most basic human rights.

Photo: UNAMA Following the mass deportation of Afghan migrants from Iran, Roza Otunbayeva, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and Head of the UNAMA office, has raised alarm over the situation of returnees and called for immediate action. According to a UNAMA press release published on Tuesday (15 July), Otunbayeva, during a visit to the Islam Qala border in Herat province, met with returning migrants and described their dire condition as “a alarm for the international community.” She emphasized that the Taliban alone are not capable of managing this massive influx and that humanitarian organizations are also under pressure. According to her, the current situation is “a test of the collective conscience” of the international community, as Afghanistan, already facing a humanitarian crisis, poverty, and drought, is unable to absorb the shock of such large-scale returns. The UNAMA chief warned that in a country where over 70 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, the return of more than 1.4 million migrants will further deepen the humanitarian crisis. She called on governments and international institutions “not to turn away” and not to abandon the returning migrants. In her words, “What we are witnessing now is the direct result of the global community’s failure to act on its responsibilities.” Meanwhile, the Bakhtar news agency reported that on Monday (14 July), 3,662 Afghan families returned from neighboring countries to Afghanistan. According to the report, 37 families entered through Torkham, 35 through Spin Boldak, 1,229 through the Pul-e-Abrisham in Nimroz province, and 2,361 families through the Islam Qala border in Herat province. At the same time, the Taliban governor’s office in Herat reported yesterday that more than 574,000 Afghan migrants have been deported from Iran in just the past 22 days. It is reported that nearly 30,000 migrants are deported daily from Iran, while the necessary facilities to accommodate them at the borders are lacking. The deportation of Afghan migrants from Iran and Pakistan continues and has intensified in recent days.

Photo: iribnews Local sources in Kunar province say that a man in Nur Gul district shot and killed his wife and one of his sons, and injured his two other children, a son and a daughter. The incident took place on Saturday (July 12) in the Ludlam area of Nur Gul district. Sources say the injured son and daughter have been transferred to Nangarhar Provincial Hospital for treatment. According to local sources, the incident was the result of domestic violence and economic hardship. However, one source added that the man was suffering from a mental disorder and has now been arrested by the Taliban. Local Taliban officials have not yet commented on the incident.

Photo: WHO/Dr Rahimi, WHE Focal Point The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has raised concerns about the alarming condition of pregnant women who have recently returned to Afghanistan from Iran. On Monday (14 July), the organization posted a report on social media platform X stating that many of these women, while pregnant and without access to basic care, have endured difficult journeys and are now facing a lack of adequate facilities at the Islam Qala border. The UNFPA representative in Afghanistan said, “Many of the women are pregnant, while children and adolescents are experiencing trauma and confusion and are in urgent need of healthcare services and psychosocial support.” United Nations statistics show that in recent months, more than one million Afghan migrants have entered the country from Iran alone. In addition, the forced deportation of Afghan migrants from Pakistan continues. Previously, the World Health Organization also expressed concern over the critical condition of women and children at border points and called on international institutions to respond urgently to this humanitarian crisis.

Sent to Zan TV Members of the Afghan Women’s Activist's Coordination Body (AWACB) met with Richard Bennett, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, in Berlin. This meeting comes at a time when the human rights crisis in Afghanistan, particularly concerning women, is deepening by the day, and a large number of Afghan women in neighboring countries are facing discrimination, threats, and uncertainty. During the meeting, members of the organization highlighted the widespread human rights violations in Afghanistan, especially the situation of women under Taliban rule, and emphasized the international community’s responsibility to prevent the legitimization of this group. They also expressed concern over the attempts by some countries to recognize the Taliban regime. In particular, the recent positions of the Russian Federation and the new German government’s approach toward potential engagement with the Taliban were among the main points of discussion. The members also described the situation of Afghan migrants in Iran and Pakistan as “filled with discrimination, insecurity, and threats of deportation,” warning that many Afghan women in exile are facing severe challenges. According to these activists, forced return would mean the end of hope and freedom for them. They expressed gratitude to Richard Bennett for his clear support, empathetic presence, and continued commitment to defending the rights of Afghan women.

Sent to Zan TV Local sources in Badakhshan province say that three members of a family, including a woman, have been shot dead by unknown armed men in Baharak district of the province. The incident took place on Saturday night (11 July) in the village of Khairabad, Baharak district, and the victims included a man, his wife, and their son. According to sources, the armed men entered the family’s home at midnight and, after a confrontation, killed the father, mother, and son by gunfire. Local sources add that the family had recently earned around 200,000 Afghanis from selling potatoes, and the attackers took the money from beside the son’s bed after entering the house. During the victims’ resistance, they were shot. Eyewitnesses confirmed that the bodies of the victims were found in their home on Saturday morning. Taliban officials have not yet commented on the incident. This comes as incidents of targeted and mysterious killings have increased across various parts of Afghanistan since the Taliban’s return to power.

Image credit: Wakil Kohsar / AFP via France 24 The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has announced that more than 47,000 Afghan citizens have been deported from Iran in just the past three days. In a report published on Monday (14 July), the organization stated that on July 10, 11, and 12, approximately 19,900, 13,900, and over 14,000 individuals respectively entered Afghanistan. According to the organization, most of these individuals were either forcibly deported or compelled to return due to the harsh living conditions in Iran. At the same time, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has expressed concern over the unprecedented and growing return of migrants from Iran and Pakistan, calling for urgent action to address their humanitarian needs. The agency reported that on one single day, more than 43,000 people returned from Iran to Afghanistan. The UN has warned that the concentration of returns at a few specific points has placed heavy pressure on host communities. Its report noted that life for Afghan women and girls after return is marked by severe restrictions and structural discrimination. It is worth noting that the Islam Qala border crossing in Herat province is the busiest entry point for returnees, and aid workers in the area have warned that in many cases, there is insufficient capacity to respond to the large influx of migrants. Many of these individuals, especially in the summer heat, arrive in urgent need of drinking water, food, shelter, and medical services. This comes as the return of Afghan migrants from Iran and Pakistan has significantly increased in recent months and has reached an alarming scale, particularly for women and children who are the most vulnerable group in this process.

Photo: Stringer / Reuters In the latest wave of Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip on Sunday (13 July), at least 30 people, including 6 children, were killed. According to media reports, an Israeli missile strike hit a water distribution site in the Nuseirat refugee camp, where children had gathered to collect water. The attack occurred as residents have become reliant on public water distribution centers due to severe water shortages caused by the shutdown of desalination and sewage treatment facilities. The Israeli military responded by stating that the target of the strike was a member of the Islamic Jihad group, but the missile landed dozens of meters off target due to a “technical error.” Although the Israeli military expressed regret over civilian casualties, the strike has once again raised serious questions about the credibility and legality of Israel’s military actions in densely populated civilian areas. Severe Humanitarian Crisis and Alarming Casualty Figures According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health on Sunday, the death toll from Israeli attacks since October 2023 has exceeded 58,000 people. In the past 24 hours alone, 139 more deaths have been reported. Thousands of women and children are among the victims of these attacks. Gaza is now on the brink of a full-scale humanitarian catastrophe. More than two million people are facing extreme shortages of drinking water, food, and medicine, and international organizations have repeatedly warned of possible war crimes and a growing humanitarian crisis. Ceasefire Negotiation Deadlock While efforts continue in Qatar to reach a 60-day ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, negotiations remain stalled due to major disagreements over key terms, including the deployment of Israeli forces during the ceasefire. Israel has stated that it will only stop the war if Hamas disarms and surrenders. However, Hamas demands a complete end to the war and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza before any release of hostages.

Social Media The Taliban’s Supreme Court has announced that on Sunday (13 July), in Balkh province, two individuals, including a woman, were publicly flogged on charges of “illicit relations and fleeing home.” According to the court’s statement, the punishment was carried out in the courtyard of the Balkh Appeals Court, in the presence of several Taliban judicial and military officials, as well as members of the public. Based on the issued verdict, both the man and the woman were sentenced to 39 lashes each. It is worth noting that although the Taliban carry out such punishments based on their specific interpretation of Sharia, international organizations have repeatedly warned that implementing penalties such as flogging and public executions not only violates human dignity but also contradicts Afghanistan’s international human rights obligations.

Sent to Zan TV The Women’s Rights Watch Afghanistan has described the mass forced deportation of Afghan migrants from Iran, especially unaccompanied women and children, as “a blatant violation of humanitarian principles and international obligations regarding refugee rights” and has called on international institutions to take effective and practical action for the immediate halt of this process. The organization has warned that returning women to a country where, under Taliban rule, they are deprived of their most basic rights, is equivalent to sending victims back to the crime scene. Women’s Rights Watch called the Iranian government’s treatment of helpless Afghan women and children “humiliating and misogynistic,” emphasizing that these actions not only violate human rights but also paint a troubling picture of Iran’s immigration policies. Condemning the growing wave of forced deportations, the organization has demanded an immediate end to this process and clear accountability from the Iranian government for this “blatant injustice.”