Photo: Omar/Salaam Times The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has announced that since October 2021, it has provided vital services and essential social support to more than 25 million people across Afghanistan. In a new report published on Sunday (13 July), the agency stated that from 2021 to 2024, it supported nearly 80,000 small businesses, 97 percent of which are run by women. According to the report, Afghan women’s dependence on informal jobs with no stable income has increased in recent years, rising from 37 percent in 2023 to 57 percent in 2024. While only seven percent of women work outside the home, that figure is 84 percent for men. The UNDP has warned that the continued exclusion of women from the formal economy could cost Afghanistan around 920 million dollars between 2024 and 2026. This warning comes as, following the Taliban’s return to power, sweeping restrictions have been imposed on women’s right to work, and thousands of women have been deprived of their previous jobs.

Social Media As a result of a traffic accident on the Kabul–Jalalabad highway, three people, including a woman, have lost their lives and four others have been injured. According to local sources, the incident occurred around 7 a.m. on Thursday (10 July) in Kabul’s Surobi district, near the Mahipar area, when a Mercedes vehicle collided with a Corolla. The cause of the accident has been attributed to the drivers’ negligence. So far, local Taliban officials have not commented on the incident. It is worth noting that traffic accidents in Afghanistan claim hundreds of lives and injure hundreds more each year. Driver negligence, poor road conditions, and a lack of traffic signs are among the main causes of such incidents.

Photo: Aryana Sayeed / Facebook In continued reactions to the arrest warrants issued for Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban leader, and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, Chief Justice of the group, Aryana Sayeed, a prominent Afghan singer, has described the decision as “a major step toward the realization of justice.” On Thursday (10 July), she published a message emphasizing that this action is the result of the resistance of Afghan women who, despite all threats and censorship, never remained silent, and it is also the outcome of the tireless efforts of human rights defenders around the world. Aryana Sayeed wrote in her message, “Today, the world is finally beginning to respond. Justice is no longer a dream; it is taking shape.” Addressing the Taliban, she said it should now be clear to them that Afghan women are a powerful force against the group’s oppression and injustice. “You may have weapons, but what we have is courage that will never surrender to tyranny. Do not underestimate it.” This comes as the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Tuesday (8 July), citing extensive evidence of systematic human rights violations in Afghanistan, issued arrest warrants for the Taliban leader and the Chief Justice of the group on charges of “crimes against humanity.” The decision has been widely welcomed by activists, political figures, and human rights organizations.

Sent to Zan TV In continued reactions to the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban leader, and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, Chief Justice of the group, the “Afghanistan Women’s Movement in Exile” has issued a statement describing the decision as “a promising step” toward justice for victims, especially Afghan women. In its statement, the movement emphasized that the issuance of this warrant, at a time when certain powers like Russia are moving toward recognizing the Taliban while ignoring the group’s structural crimes, and the United Nations holds “vague and fruitless” meetings on Afghanistan’s political future, could be a glimmer of hope for millions of women and girls deprived of their most basic human rights by the Taliban. However, the movement warned that this ruling must not be allowed to become merely symbolic. The statement reads, “For its practical implementation, there is a need to establish and activate an international, independent, and monitoring judicial committee that not only accelerates the process of pursuing these cases but also prevents political efforts to whitewash the image of the Taliban.” This comes as the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Hibatullah Akhundzada and Abdul Hakim Haqqani on charges of committing “crimes against humanity” and the systematic implementation of gender-based discrimination against women and girls in Afghanistan.

Photo: Wakil Kohsar/AFP/Getty Images The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban leader, and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, the Chief Justice of the group, on charges of committing “crimes against humanity.” This action has been taken as part of the court’s investigation into the situation in Afghanistan. Pre-Trial Chamber II of the ICC, after reviewing documents and evidence, stated that there are reasonable grounds to believe that “Crime against humanity of persecution” were committed by these two senior Taliban officials. These crimes, according to the Rome Statute, include issuing orders, incitement, or encouragement of acts based on gender against women, girls, and others whose gender identity and expression did not conform with Taliban policies. The court also stated that individuals identified as “supporters of girls and women” were also targets of this systematic persecution. These crimes began after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan on 15 August 2021 and continued at least until 20 January 2025. In response to this action, Amnesty International has called for the recognition of gender apartheid as an international crime to strengthen efforts against regimes built on systematic gender-based oppression and domination. Human Rights Watch has also welcomed the ruling and emphasized the need for global support for the ICC. According to Liz Evenson, Director of International Justice at the organization, Taliban leaders are now being prosecuted for the systematic repression of women, girls, and individuals with diverse gender identities. Richard Bennett, the United Nations Special Rapporteur, described the decision as a key step toward ending impunity and emphasized that the Taliban regime must not be normalized. Fawzia Koofi, former member of the Afghan Parliament, called the move “a positive development” in the effort to confront the normalization of gender-based abuse, but said it is not enough and called for stronger measures. Meanwhile, the Alliance of Afghan Human Rights Defenders called the ruling the beginning of the end of the “cycle of impunity” for war criminals and called for the expansion of legal action to include other Taliban leaders, such as Sirajuddin Haqqani, Mullah Yaqoob, and Mullah Baradar. Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, called the ruling “a powerful message for the women of Afghanistan and the world” and emphasized the need for accountability for violators of women’s rights. However, the Taliban have rejected the authority of the court and declared that they do not recognize the International Criminal Court. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, in a response, called the ruling “nonsense” and claimed that the decision would have no impact on the group’s position. On the other hand, the United Nations has emphasized the independence of the International Criminal Court and called on all countries to respect and cooperate with the process of investigating crimes, especially those committed against women and girls in Afghanistan.

Sent to Zan TV Local sources in Paktika have confirmed that a 10-year-old child, after enduring torture and humiliation in a religious school, set himself on fire and sustained severe injuries. This incident has once again raised concerns about structural violence in the Taliban’s education system. The child is a resident of Yusuf Khel district and, according to sources, had been repeatedly beaten and humiliated by the school’s mullah. One local witness told Zan TV, “The mullah used to beat and humiliate him every day. The child could no longer bear it.” Following the Taliban’s return, religious schools have replaced modern education. Subjects such as mathematics, science, and literature have been eliminated, with the main focus now on indoctrinating extremist Sharia law and enforcing absolute obedience. In such a system, the child is not a learner, but a silent obedient subject of the regime. An Afghan psychologist told us, “This self-immolation is a direct result of the repressive and violent educational environment under the Taliban. Children have neither psychological safety nor the opportunity for intellectual development.” Taliban officials have not commented on the incident at the time of writing this report.

Photo: againstthecompass Local sources in Kandahar have reported the suicide of a young woman in District 3 of Kandahar city. According to the sources, the 29-year-old woman hanged herself in her room before noon on Saturday (5 July), ending her life. Based on the information provided, she was the second wife of her husband, and domestic violence has been cited as the main cause of the incident. Sources close to the woman’s family say that she became acquainted with her husband through a phone conversation some time ago and married him, but due to economic problems, she was recently sent back to her father’s house by her husband. So far, local Taliban officials in Kandahar have not commented on the incident. It is worth noting that since the Taliban’s return to power, the number of suicides among women and girls has increased in various provinces of Afghanistan. In many cases, these suicides have been reported to be the result of domestic violence, psychological pressure, and despair about the future.

Photo: AP Following heavy rainfall and flooding in Nangarhar province, local Taliban officials in the province have reported the deaths of two children and the injury of two others. The Taliban’s media office in Nangarhar announced on Sunday (6 July) that in Nazian district, a young girl died after the roof of her house collapsed, and in Kuz Kunar district, a young boy lost his life due to flooding. Additionally, in Patikot district, two other children were injured following the collapse of a wall. According to local sources, the health condition of these children is satisfactory. In addition to the loss of life, last night's flooding also caused widespread damage. According to reports, in Goshta district at least 250 residential houses and 300 acres of farmland were damaged. In Lal Pur district, another 200 acres of agricultural land were destroyed.

Sent to Zan TV Amid the wave of reactions to Russia’s decision to recognize the Taliban regime, the “Purple Saturdays” movement has denounced Moscow’s action as “a clear alliance with gender apartheid” and “a serious threat to global peace.” Members of the movement, who burned a photo of Russian President Vladimir Putin, emphasized that the Kremlin’s decision equates to legitimizing the systematic violation of women’s rights, the oppression of minorities, and support for a system rooted in political and religious violence in Afghanistan. The movement’s statement reads, “This move turns Taliban-controlled Afghanistan into a regional and global ticking time bomb and forms part of a broader project to spread terrorism and extremism from Afghan soil. Russia’s claim that the Taliban are fighting terrorism is nothing but a baseless attempt to justify this support. In this context, Russia’s authoritarian government led by Putin must be held seriously accountable.” Purple Saturdays described Russia’s recent decision as an open act of hostility toward the people of Afghanistan and called on the United Nations to invoke the “Uniting for Peace” resolution and begin proceedings to consider suspending Russia’s membership in the international body. At the end of the statement, the movement called on all feminist activists and movements around the world, especially within Russia, not to remain silent and to stand in solidarity with the women of Afghanistan.

Photo: UNFPA Afghanistan on X Amid the ongoing crisis of forced returns of Afghan migrants from Iran, an Afghan woman gave birth to a baby girl at the Islam Qala border crossing in Herat province, at an emergency clinic run by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The UNFPA posted on social media platform X, stating, “While migrants face the complexities of forced return, a mother successfully delivered her baby girl at our emergency maternity clinic.” This event takes place as the Islam Qala border sees the daily arrival of thousands of Afghan migrants, especially women and children who return without resources, without support, and in urgent need of healthcare, food, and shelter. Humanitarian organizations have described the birth as “a moment of hope in the heart of crisis.”