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Photo: Stefanie Glinski The Humanitarian Crisis Amid the Forced Deportation of Afghan Refugees from Pakistan Migration, at first glance, may seem like merely a movement from one land to another. But for the Afghan woman, migration often means fleeing death, escaping the shadow of the whip, breaking free from the prison of ignorance, and struggling to survive with human dignity. The Afghan woman, in recent decades, has become a symbol of resistance against tyranny. She did not fall silent under the burqa, she taught in secret classrooms, she fought with her pen and camera, and she struggled for a voice that others always tried to silence. With the Taliban's return to power in the summer of 2021, all of Afghan women’s achievements collapsed. Thousands of women who had been active in government institutions, the media, the military, and civil organizations were overnight turned into targets of suppression and elimination. Threats, persecution, arrests, and in some cases, murder were part of the price women paid for their independence and enlightenment. For many of them, the only way to survive was to leave their homeland. But migration was not the end of their suffering, it became the beginning of an endless exile, full of uncertainty, fear, and abandonment. Today, in the streets and camps of Pakistan, the voices of women can be heard who were once the intellectual and social pillars of Afghanistan. Women who are now undocumented, unsupported, and on the verge of forced deportation. Their story is one of compounded discrimination, as migrants, as women, and as voices that the powerful do not want to hear. Forced Deportation: A Cruel Policy Against Refugees In October 2023, the government of Pakistan implemented a new policy requiring all foreign nationals without valid residence documents to leave the country. This decision, made without regard for the legal and security status of Afghan refugees, sparked a wave of concern within the refugee community. Former women activists, already threatened by the Taliban, now feel unsafe in the host country as well. According to data released by Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior, by the end of 2024, more than 500,000 Afghan refugees had been deported from Pakistan without consideration of their humanitarian situation. Meanwhile, human rights organizations including Amnesty International have warned that the forced return of refugees, especially former women activists, could lead to torture, imprisonment, or even death. U.S. Immigration Policies: A Hope Turned Into Despair In January 2025, the Donald Trump administration suspended Afghan refugee admissions for a period of three months. This decision halted the resettlement process for more than 20,000 Afghans who were awaiting relocation to the United States. Many of these individuals were women who had been at risk due to their collaboration with American institutions, media outlets, aid organizations, or human rights groups. In April 2025, the Trump administration also revoked Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for approximately 14,600 Afghans and 7,900 Cameroonians residing in the United States. This move signaled the end of temporary protections for these individuals and increased the risk of their deportation from the country. Women’s Stories: From Hope to Despair Noria Sakandari, a former employee in the Human Rights Division of Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security, fled to Pakistan after the fall of Kabul. She says, "My case was registered under the P2 program. The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad told me to wait. Now two years have passed, and with the arrival of the Trump administration, no response has come. We have been erased from the list of human beings." Samira Ebrahimi, a former journalist for a reputable media outlet in Kabul who is now a member of the Federation of Afghan Journalists in Exile and currently living in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, says, "When the Taliban shut down my news agency, I fled Afghanistan overnight. In Pakistan, I hoped my voice would not be silenced. But today, I even feel watched here." Maliha, a former officer in the Afghan National Army, represents a story of both pain and courage. After the fall of Kabul, she entered Pakistan alone through smuggling routes. With a wounded body and a troubled soul, she now lives in a refugee camp near Islamabad. She says, "I laid down my weapon to save my life, but even here I have no safety. I am a woman, a former soldier, and a restless soul longing for my homeland." Global Reactions: Silence or Powerlessness? Despite repeated warnings from international organizations, the Pakistani government has continued deporting refugees. Human Rights Watch stated in a report, "The forced deportation of asylum seekers who face threats upon return to Afghanistan is a violation of the 1951 Refugee Convention." However, despite these warnings, Western countries have also remained silent in the face of this crisis. The United States’ strict immigration policies in 2024 significantly reduced the acceptance of cases filed by Afghan women. According to recent data from the U.S. immigration office, only 8 percent of asylum applications from Afghan women who were active during the republic have been approved. An Uncertain Ending, an Unclear Future The future of these women is shrouded in uncertainty. The world, which once sang songs of equality for the rights of Afghan women, now seems either powerless or indifferent as it watches their suffering. This report is an echo of the silenced voices of women who, caught between escape and erasure, hold on to a faint hope for justice. The wounds of migration have neither healed nor been acknowledged. Pakistan continues to deport, and the world is still just watching.

Photo: AP Our Homeland"A Story of Unaccompanied Afghan Women Deported from Iran The Islam Qala border is not just a geographic line between two countries these days; it is a line between hope and despair — between mothers who left Afghanistan in search of a better life and now return empty-handed, a child in their arms, to a place where no one is waiting for them. Arezo, a 34-year-old unaccompanied woman, is one of the hundreds of women recently deported to Afghanistan. She says: "I was in Iran for eleven years. My husband was an addict and passed away three years ago. I worked, I took care of my mother and the children myself. But now, with only the clothes on our backs, they threw us here. They said: You're illegal, you have to leave." Next to her stands Somayeh — a young woman with two small daughters: one six years old and the other only two and a half. She says: "My husband abandoned us. I used to sew and work to raise these two. I had no support, no income, no security. And now they’ve kicked us out of Iran as well. We slept the first night at customs. I don’t even know where I’ll be tonight." These mothers are just a few examples of a new wave of deportations of unaccompanied Afghan women from Iran — deportations in which there is no assessment of individual circumstances, no access to legal services, and not even a chance to defend oneself. This is while, according to the 1951 Geneva Convention and the 1967 Protocol, no asylum seeker should be returned to a country where they face the threat of violence, persecution, or serious human rights violations. This fundamental principle, known as non-refoulement, is clearly stated in international law. Despite this, Iran has deported tens of thousands of Afghan migrants in recent months — including unaccompanied women and children. Human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and UNHCR have repeatedly warned that this process constitutes a clear violation of the rights of migrants and asylum seekers. Inside Afghanistan, there is no specific support mechanism for returnees. These women, after crossing the border, have no home, no cash assistance, and no psychological services. One Taliban official in Islam Qala says: "We don’t have enough resources. We house some of them with the help of locals in mosques and hospitals, but their situation is truly critical." Arezo says at the end: "I never thought I’d be deported from Iran. I never thought my own homeland wouldn’t have a place for me either. I look at my children and just ask: what do we do now? Where do we go?" And Somayeh, holding her little daughter close to her chest, whispers quietly: "We were just women. Just mothers. But it seems like that is the greatest crime in the world."

Exclusive Although women have no place in the Taliban’s all‑male government and this group is globally notorious for its misogyny, a woman named Ahu Bashiri paved the streets and alleys of Zahkan village in Anar Dara district of Farah province by selling half a kilogram of gold and 30,000 US dollars. She stated that the purpose of her action was to save the people of her hometown from respiratory diseases caused by dust, and she says she is working to build a hall for the people of this village by selling one more kilogram of gold and some other cash. “I sold half a kilogram of gold and I also had thirty thousand dollars. I thought this money shouldn’t be lost, so I cemented all the alleys of my village, because I saw people, young and old, buried under dirt and dust. If God wills, I have another kilogram of gold and I will build a hall here.” Ahu Bashiri, 70, says that she left Zahkan village due to insecurity during the previous Taliban regime and moved to Herat province. However, after nearly thirty years, she has now returned to her village to help her people. “Thirty years ago, my husband passed away. I saw there was no other way, so I took my orphaned children and went to Herat. Gradually, my sons began working, and this money and gold are from them—they gave it to me. Now, I am donating my share to the people, because I am ill and may not survive.” However, Ezzatullah Bashiri, who is himself one of the businessmen of Farah province, says that his mother has also provided solar power for the residents of this village, which now lights up the dark alleys at night. He adds that more than 150 solar panels have been installed in the village with the help of his generous mother. On the other hand, the residents of Zahkan village have welcomed Ahu Bashiri’s support and are calling on the Taliban to take action in the areas of healthcare and establishing schools, especially for girls. Younis, one of the villagers, says: “The most important need in this village is for our daughters to be educated. We are very happy with this mother’s work, but we ask the government to allow our daughters to study so that generous women like her can build schools and learning centers for them.” Nevertheless, the Taliban have described Ms. Bashiri’s initiative as important and impactful, emphasizing the need for public cooperation with their single-gender government. Hayatullah Muhajir Farahi, the Deputy Minister of Publications at the Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture, stated: “Men and women must stand alongside the government and the Islamic Emirate, because without the people, the state cannot progress. Traders must also take part in the development of the country.” Ahu Bashiri has undertaken the reconstruction of her village at a time when thousands of women and girls, due to economic difficulties and the Taliban's restrictions on women working outside the home, have been forced into begging or even sex work.

Ali Khara/REUTERS Hunger and lack of sufficient food have caused widowed and unaccompanied women to forget the pain and suffering of loneliness and having no guardian. Anar, a 70-year-old widow, left her home in Ghormach district of Badghis province seven years ago due to war and insecurity and took refuge in Herat. She says hunger and lack of access to adequate food have taken away her ability to walk. This elderly woman, who spends her days and nights alone in a small mud house covered with wooden beams, says with a tearful voice that she is always waiting in hope that her neighbors — all of whom are internally displaced — will help her with a piece of bread. "I have no one. I swear to God, some nights I don’t even have a piece of bread to eat and I go to sleep hungry. Sometimes people and our neighbors, who are also poor, bring me a piece of dry bread. Look, I’ve kept these dry, moldy breads out of fear of going hungry. I soak them in a glass of water to soften them and eat them again." As Anar shows her dry and moldy pieces of bread, she says that some time ago, her only 15-year-old son went to Iran through illegal routes, but he died after falling from a high-rise building while working as a laborer. She complains about the unfair distribution of humanitarian aid by the Taliban and says this group distributes aid to their relatives and associates. Bibi Sanam, a 68-year-old unaccompanied woman, sits under the sunlight, threading colorful beads together with a needle and thread in her hand, trying to earn enough to buy even a single piece of dry bread. She says that although her eyesight is weak and she is advanced in age, she is forced to work. Sanam also says she is too weak from hunger to walk. She calls on the Taliban and aid organizations to provide food assistance to unaccompanied women. "I swear to God, I can’t walk — I’m too hungry. I work from morning till night just to earn ten or twenty Afghanis so I can buy one piece of dry bread at night. Our request is that the government help us." This widowed woman, whose face reflects deep despair, says that not only does she lack access to food, but she is also ill. However, health centers under Taliban control do not provide services to her or others like her. Sanam, complaining about inhumane treatment at one of the health centers, says: "I used to always go to the nearby clinic when I got sick, but now they say this clinic used to belong to the Americans and we used to give you medicine, but now we can’t help you anymore." Ghuncha Gul, another widowed woman who threads beads alongside Sanam, has not been spared from economic hardship and poverty. Like other unaccompanied and widowed women, she speaks of the pain of hunger. "What can I say? I have no son and no daughter to work for me. I live alone. I went to my neighbor’s house to borrow some oil. I live in someone else’s house, and if the neighbors give me a piece of bread, that’s good. If not, I go hungry." It is worth noting that after the Taliban came to power in August 2021, work, education, and schooling for women and girls were banned in the country. Many women who were the breadwinners of their families have been forced to either beg for food or resort to sex work to survive.

Photo: Public Domain via PICRYL / GetArchive The Taliban held a ceremony in Kabul on Thursday (20 March) to mark the start of the 1404 academic year. However, it was observed that even after four years of depriving girls of education, the lock of this misogynistic government remains on the gates of education and learning for girls. Some young girls in Afghanistan told Zan TV that they had hoped that in the new academic year (1404) the doors of school and university would be opened for them, but the Taliban have deprived girls and women of their right to education solely on the basis of their gender. These schoolgirls say that they are dead, both mentally and spiritually, because by continuing the ban on education, the Taliban have deprived them of the right to mental and intellectual growth. Asiyeh Ghafouri, the girl who deprived from school in the province of Farah, says that by closing the school doors for girls, the Taliban have not only deprived her of her rights but also destroyed her hopes and life. "When the school door was closed, I was in ninth grade. I really loved studying and achieving my dreams, but now—not only has my right to education been taken away, they've taken my life from me. I've become mentally unstable; I suffer from depression so severe that I see a psychologist every day, yet it’s all in vain. I've attempted suicide many times, but I haven't succeeded in ending my life. I feel that even living has taken away my right to die." Kobra, a 14-year-old girl who completed her sixth grade three months ago at one of Herat’s schools, tearfully told Zan TV: "I wish I had failed school so that I could have stayed one more year with my friends and classmates; why don’t the Taliban allow us? When we go to school, are we committing prostitution?" Suraya Nabizada, another girl deprived of education in Badghis province, says in a tearful voice: "I studied until the 11th grade, but it has been nearly four years since I was banned from going to school. I completely feel dead, both mentally and spiritually, because the Taliban do not allow us to study and grow. If the school doors had not been closed, I would now be studying one of my favorite fields at a university, but the Taliban took this right away from me." Meanwhile, the start of the new academic year in Afghanistan without the presence of girls has sparked strong reactions from human rights activists and international organizations. Shaharzad Akbar, the head of the Rawadari Human Rights Organization, wrote on the X platform that the Taliban held the academic year's opening ceremony in Kabul without the presence of women and girls. She added that the ban on girls' education is heartbreaking and, in her words, a sign of gender apartheid in Afghanistan. The academic year 1404 begins while girls above the sixth grade have been deprived of schooling for nearly four years. The Taliban have repeatedly spoken about working on a plan to create a "safe educational environment" in accordance with their self-defined version of Islamic Sharia. However, these promises have yet to be fulfilled and remain unclear.

Photo: Wakil Kohsar, AFP One day after March 17 (National Journalists Day in the country), the Afghanistan Journalists Center reported a new ban by the Taliban on broadcasting women's voices from media outlets. In a report, the organization stated that the Taliban’s Information and Culture Department has issued a new directive to the media in this province, instructing them to refrain from broadcasting women's voices. Nevertheless, female journalists in Afghanistan have criticized the Taliban’s extensive restrictions on the activities of women and girls in the media, saying that by issuing decrees and imposing limitations, the Taliban have eliminated women from political organizations, and now it is time to remove women from the media community. Freshta Bator, one of the female journalists, said in a mocking and sarcastic tone that the Taliban issued this ban on the occasion of National Journalists Day and as a reward for the efforts and achievements of women journalists. Bator told Zan TV: "By God, it's shameful—just look at what the world thinks. Look at our Muslim rulers, who are scheming every day on how to destroy women; every day they impose another ban on women's activities. It is truly disgraceful—perhaps they issued this ban on National Journalists Day and in support of women." Nargis Samim, another female journalist, said, "The Taliban's actions are unacceptable. They think that all people are simpletons from the plains and mountains, while people's minds have changed so much that it will never be possible for the Taliban to silence the voices of the people." Nevertheless, media activists say that female journalists also have suffered the most over the past twenty years; as soon as the path for their media work became somewhat open, the Taliban silenced their voices. Diana Soroush, one of the media activists, said: "In the beginning, Afghan women experienced many harms, including family restrictions, negative societal attitudes, and even assassinations. But when, about eight to ten years ago, broader opportunities for them became available, the Taliban took power and destroyed all of women's achievements." It is worth noting that recently, not only have the Taliban imposed additional restrictions and bans on the activities of female journalists, but following the issuance of these decrees, domestic media in Afghanistan have also been forced to either cease operations or resort to self-censorship. This comes as Afghanistan ranked 178th out of 180 countries in the Reporters Without Borders index for 2024.

Photo: Wakil Kohsar/AFP/Getty International Women's Solidarity Day and the Dire Situation of 20 Million Women Under Taliban Rule Women in different countries around the world are heading towards celebrating and honoring March 8, International Women's Day, while for over three years, the Taliban, through their inhumane decrees, have stripped the basic and human rights of more than twenty million women and girls in Afghanistan, chaining their individual freedoms. On the occasion of this day, women and girls deprived of their rights in Afghanistan say that not only have the Taliban deprived them of basic rights such as education, employment, and even their choice of clothing, but these decrees have also had a direct impact on family policies, to the extent that many women and girls have been rejected by their families due to these prohibitions and the Taliban's harsh orders. Mah Sheren, a 17-year-old victim of forced marriage and a survivor of education, whose face reflects the bitterness and failure of life. While weaving carpets in a corner of Herat city, she says that due to the closure of school doors and being confined at home while suffering from depression and mental illness, her family, without consulting her, married her off to an elderly man with a 20-year age difference. Mah Sheren describes the bitter and difficult life she has lived, and her failure in married life, in this way: "I studied until the seventh grade when the Taliban closed the school gates. I went home, and every day started with me crying. My situation was very bad. About eight months passed since then when I heard my mother saying, Get ready, people are coming for your engagement party. I said, Me? Has someone come to our house for a proposal to hold a gathering? She said, My daughter, your father has given you to a husband." As she weaves the colorful threads of the carpet, with eyes full of tears, she speaks more about her dark and unfortunate life: "Although I was not happy with this marriage, my father and mother forced me to marry. One year after my wedding, the hardships caused my husband to divorce me. I currently have a child, and I can't even earn enough money for his milk powder. I am confused whether to work to feed myself or buy milk powder for my child." Kobra Hashemi, another 21-year-old girl, whose family forced her into marriage due to the closure of educational and work opportunities for women, speaks with a trembling, tearful voice about her situation: "Since the doors of education and learning were closed to girls, it is not only the world that has abandoned us, and it is not just the Taliban who oppresses us, but our own parents are also wronging us. They forced me to marry. They say it's better to marry and build your life than to stay at home and fall into depression." Hashemi continues her speech and says with a sarcastic tone: "Isn't it interesting, the Taliban consider themselves more Muslim than the Muslims of the world, yet because I am a girl, I am not even allowed to make decisions for my own future, to decide with whom I will live under one roof for the coming years. You know what the problem is? It’s that my parents seem to be like the Taliban, because they live under the shadow of their power." Alongside the wave of Taliban political restrictions and violence against women, domestic violence has become a serious concern for women and girls in Afghanistan. Despite more than three years under Taliban rule, this violence has increased. Women's rights activists say that while the Taliban, with their inhumane decrees, are attempting to use women as a tool to gain international recognition and secure billions of dollars in aid from global countries, many families in Afghanistan are influenced by these decrees and are resorting to violence against women. Najla Farid, a women's rights activist, says in an interview with Zan TV: "The Taliban are attempting to exploit Afghan women for political gain. Every time the world’s countries decide to discuss Afghanistan, the Taliban issue a new decree to let the world know that if they are not recognized, their decrees will only increase. Now, the Taliban remain in power, and many parents have become like the Taliban in these three years, forcing their daughters into marriage, beating them, and treating them with violence." On the other hand, women's rights and human rights activists, on the occasion of March 8, are calling on international human rights organizations to pay attention to the situation of women under the shadow of the Taliban. Frishta Sakha, another women's rights activist, says: "Our demand is that the world and human rights organizations open their eyes to the women of Afghanistan and see the conditions that women and girls are facing. Our demand is to free women from the Taliban's restrictions." This comes at a time when many human rights organizations and countries around the world have described the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan under the Taliban's rule as dire and concerning. However, no action has yet been taken by these organizations to free women and girls from the harsh restrictions imposed by the Taliban.

Photo: EU/ECHO Pierre Prakash via Flickr 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.

Photo: Wakil Kohsar/AFP Women without guardians and breadwinners in the western region of the country, complaining about the prohibition of work for women by the Taliban, say that according to this command from the Taliban's leader, not only have they lost their jobs, but they have also been forced to sell their dignity and honor cheaply. Some women in the western provinces of the country say that on one hand they are facing severe economic problems, and on the other, according to the Taliban leader's command, they are not allowed to work outside the home, which has driven them to beg on the streets and roads. Sufia, a widow who has wrapped herself in a blue burqa, says that the compulsion of fate, along with the Taliban’s prohibition on women’s work, has forced her to extend her begging hand to people on the streets of Herat from dawn till dusk. "My children's stomachs are hungry; I have to beg; my husband had cancer and passed away; I used to work at an institute, but the Taliban said that women, without a mahram, are not allowed to leave the house for work; I became unemployed and sold everything I had—nothing remains for me except begging." Nadia Shahir, another woman without a guardian residing in Farah province, has complained about the prohibition of work for women and says: "I am a widow; my father was elderly and passed away, and my brothers also barely make a living—so how am I supposed to get a mahram for myself? How can I cover the expenses of my six young children? During the republic era, I worked in this very Safa command, but the Taliban kicked me out." Bibi Hoor, another one of these women who begs in the Pul - Pashtun area of Herat province, says that she previously worked as a cook at an institution; however, with the issuance of the Taliban's decree prohibiting women's work, she lost her job. By raising this question, she calls the Taliban's laws un-Islamic and inhumane: "The Taliban have prohibited work for us, so why do they allow begging and consider it permissible? Do I beg inside my own house? If I go out begging, there's no problem, but when I go out for honorable work, it is forbidden for me." On the other hand, women's rights activists are calling on international organizations and the Taliban government to remove the restrictions imposed on women's work and activities. Fazelah Nadim, one of the women's rights activists, says: "It is necessary for the world to focus on the issue of Afghan women, and the Taliban must review their imposed laws, especially regarding human rights and women's rights, because today life has really turned into a cage and prison for women and girls." It should be noted that after seizing power in Afghanistan, the Taliban have banned work, education, for women and girls.

photo: washingtonpost World Cancer Day is observed annually on February 4th in most countries around the world, including Afghanistan. However, health officials in the western region of the country expressed concern during a ceremony commemorating this day, stating that the number of people affected by cancer has increased by more than 30% compared to the previous year. Rahmatullah Barakzai, one of the doctors in the cancer department at the Herat Regional Hospital, says that 50 to 60 cancer patients visit this hospital daily, of whom approximately 30 to 35 are admitted for treatment. He says, "Last year, around 10 people would visit this department, but currently, 30 to 35 people suffering from cancer are admitted to this department daily. Cancer is truly on the rise. This year, more than 5,000 cancer patients have been registered at this hospital." On the other hand, a number of women suffering from cancer complain about the poor economic situation, lack of attention in government hospitals, and the absence of facilities for their treatment and care. Shazia, a resident of Ghor Province who has been suffering from breast cancer for over three years, told Zan TV: "It is truly a difficult disease. Three years ago, one of my breasts was in pain, but I didn’t pay much attention to it. Gradually, the increasing pain forced me to go to hospitals. The doctors would give me painkillers, but eventually, I lost my appetite and couldn’t eat. I went to Pakistan, where they told me I had cancer. Now, I neither have the money for treatment nor do the hospitals here provide any help to me." Shima, another woman suffering from cancer and a resident of Badghis Province, says: "I have been suffering from blood cancer since I was a child. When my blood levels drop, it becomes very difficult for me. I can’t do anything. My father doesn’t have the money to take me to other countries for treatment. Even when we come here, they don’t provide us with blood, let alone medicine or treatment." Meanwhile, cancer patients are calling on the Taliban government to provide the necessary medicine and facilities for their treatment within the country. Parisa, a 34-year-old woman admitted to the Herat Regional Hospital, says: "Our request is that we receive more help because this disease has no cure, but they should provide us with medicine or something to at least reduce the pain. The government should serve the people, not just think about filling its own pockets and leaving the poor and sick in a corner." World Cancer Day is being observed in Herat Province at a time when, according to information provided by health officials, over the past six years, 23,928 cancer patients have been registered in hospitals in the western region of the country, particularly in Herat Province.