Zan News - Faryab: Four children lost their lives due to the explosion of a rocket shell in the village of "Dahan Dara" in Pashtun Kot District, Faryab province. Rocket Shell Explosion Kills Four Children in Faryab June 16, 2024 Zan News Zan News - Faryab: Four children lost their lives due to the explosion of a rocket shell in the village of "Dahan Dara" in Pashtun Kot District, Faryab province. Abdullah Moradi, the spokesperson for the Taliban's police command in Faryab, stated that the incident occurred on Sunday morning (June 16). According to him, a 12-year-old girl and three boys were killed in the explosion. It is noteworthy that remnants of long-standing conflicts in Afghanistan, such as unexploded ordnance, continue to pose a deadly threat to citizens, particularly children. In a previous incident, three children also lost their lives due to a rocket shell explosion in Qaisar District of Faryab province.

Zan News: Masouma Alizada, an Afghan cyclist and manager of the Refugee Team at the 2024 Paris Olympics, carried this year's Olympic torch in the city of Orléans, France. Masouma Alizada, Afghan Female Athlete, Carried the 2024 Olympic Torch in France July 14, 2024 Zan News Zan News: Masouma Alizada, an Afghan cyclist and manager of the Refugee Team at the 2024 Paris Olympics, carried this year's Olympic torch in the city of Orléans, France. The Refugee Team stated in a message on their X account that Ms. Alizada delivered a powerful message by carrying the Olympic torch this year. In a video published by the Refugee Team, Ms. Alizada said, "We have been striving for years, and I hope to win a medal in these games. Our team competes at the Paris 2024 Olympics representing all refugees. We send a message of hope and peace through these games." Masouma Alizada, who has been living in France for the past eight years, previously competed with the Refugee Team in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. At the Paris Olympics, which will be held from July 26 to August 11, she is responsible for 36 migrant athletes from 11 countries, competing in 12 sports disciplines. Meanwhile, the Taliban have banned women and girls from sports in Afghanistan, and all women's sports teams have been dissolved. Despite these restrictions, a group of six athletes—three men and three women—will represent Afghanistan at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The Taliban have stated that they do not recognize these three women as official Afghan athletes.

Zan News: Rina Amiri, the US Special Envoy for Afghan Women, held a discussion with Lulwa Al-Khater, Qatar's Minister of State for International Cooperation, about supporting Afghan girls and women on the sidelines of the third Doha meeting. Conversation between Rina Amiri and Lulwa Al-Khater on Supporting Afghan Women on the Sidelines of the Doha Meeting July 2, 2024 Zan News Zan News: Rina Amiri, the US Special Envoy for Afghan Women, held a discussion with Lulwa Al-Khater, Qatar's Minister of State for International Cooperation, about supporting Afghan girls and women on the sidelines of the third Doha meeting. The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Monday (July 1) that both parties emphasized empowering Afghan women. This conversation took place amidst the exclusion of Afghan women from the agenda of the Doha meeting initiated by the United Nations. Rina Amiri attended the third Doha meeting as the US Special Envoy for Afghan Women. Previously, Amiri had noted that she would participate in the Doha meeting on the condition that the United Nations addresses the human rights situation of Afghan women and civil society. Meanwhile, protesting women in various cities around the world have deemed the third Doha meeting to be invalid.

Zan News - Faryab: Local sources in Faryab Province have reported the suicide of a young girl in the province Photo: Saddam Yousafzai Suicide of a Young Girl in Faryab Province August 11, 2024 Zan News Zan News - Faryab: Local sources in Faryab Province have reported the suicide of a young girl in the province According to the sources, an 18-year-old girl named Mjegan hung herself and ended her life on Saturday morning (August 10) in the village of Aqdara in the Pashtun Kot district of Faryab Province. Mawlawi Shamsuddin Mohammadi, the head of Taliban's Information and Culture in Faryab, confirmed the news and stated that Mjegan hanged herself in her home. Mohammadi cited domestic violence as the motive behind this incident. This comes that a few days ago, a 14-year-old girl also committed suicide in Faryab Province.

Zan News: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has announced that the organization and the Indonesian embassy in Kabul have signed an agreement to strengthen the economic activities of women in Afghanistan. Photo: OIC OIC and Indonesian Embassy Sign Agreement to Strengthen Afghan Women's Economy October 1, 2024 Zan News Zan News: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has announced that the organization and the Indonesian embassy in Kabul have signed an agreement to strengthen the economic activities of women in Afghanistan. The agreement was signed on Monday (September 30) in Kabul. According to the OIC statement, this agreement aims to launch various livelihood projects and empower Afghan women in urban and rural areas of the country, with funding from the Indonesian government. However, the OIC and the Indonesian embassy in Kabul have not provided further details about these projects. While the OIC is announcing the strengthening of Afghan women's economic activities, the Taliban, after returning to power in the country, have imposed severe restrictions on women and girls in various areas, including education, work, and social participation.

Zan News: Local sources report that three young women in Faryab and Helmand provinces have committed suicide in the past 24 hours due to domestic violence. Representational Image Worrying Rise in Suicides Among Women and Girls: Three Women Commit Suicide in the Past 24 Hours November 5, 2024 Zan News Zan News: Local sources report that three young women in Faryab and Helmand provinces have committed suicide in the past 24 hours due to domestic violence. On Monday (November 4), sources stated that in the first incident, an 18-year-old girl named Arifa ended her life by hanging herself in the village of Takht Zaghan in Pashtun Kot district, Faryab. According to sources, Arifa was married and took this action in her father’s home. In another incident, Gulafzar, a 22-year-old married woman in village of Qala Shahans in Garziwan district, Faryab, ended her life by ingesting poison. Additionally, it has been reported that a 24-year-old woman in Marja district, Helmand, also committed suicide during this period. Sources attribute all three incidents to domestic violence. The Taliban have yet to comment on these incidents. Since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, cases of domestic violence have increased, and the suicide rate among young girls has reached a worrying level.

Zan News: The Taliban's security command in Badghis province has confirmed the killing of a 17-year-old girl in the Jowand district. Social Media Murder of 17-Year-Old Girl in Badghis Due to Opposition to Forced Marriage October 31, 2024 Zan News Zan News: The Taliban's security command in Badghis province has confirmed the killing of a 17-year-old girl in the Jowand district. Sediqullah Seddiqi, spokesperson for the Taliban's security command in Badghis, stated that four individuals, including the girl's father and brother, have been arrested in connection with this murder. He added that investigations into the killing are ongoing but did not provide any explanation regarding the motive. According to local sources in Badghis, the girl was shot by her brother for opposing a forced marriage. This incident occurred on Monday night (October 28) in the "Jalali" village of the Jowand district. It is worth noting that a similar incident occurred two weeks ago in Herat, where a young girl was stabbed to death by her brother after opposing a forced marriage. Forced marriages are considered one of the main factors contributing to violence against girls and women, leading to their killings or suicides.

Zan News: A three-day conference of women activists and Afghan women protesters has started in Tirana, the capital of Albania, aimed at forming a united front against the Taliban’s restrictions. Three-Day Conference of Afghan Women Protesters Begins in Albania to Counter Taliban Restrictions September 12, 2024 Zan News Zan News: A three-day conference of women activists and Afghan women protesters has started in Tirana, the capital of Albania, aimed at forming a united front against the Taliban’s restrictions. The conference, which began on Wednesday (September 11), includes about 130 Afghan women from various countries, including Iran, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Rina Amiri, the US Special Envoy for Women and Human Rights in Afghanistan, Sima Samar, former chairperson of the Independent Human Rights Commission of Afghanistan, Manizha Bakhtari, Afghan Ambassador to Austria, Masooma Khavari, former Minister of Communications, and Mahbouba Seraj, a women's rights activist, are among the participants of this conference. The event is organized by the "Women for Afghanistan" group, established by Fawzia Koofi in Switzerland, and is being hosted by the Albanian government. In a message posted on the social media platform X, Albania's foreign minister, Igli Hyseni, announced his participation in the opening ceremony, stressing his country's collective support for Afghan women in their fight for rights stripped away by the Taliban. He added, "As a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Albania is steadfast in defending the rights of women and girls, both in Afghanistan and beyond." Fawzia Koofi, a former member of Afghanistan's Parliament and the conference organizer, stated that the event brings together Afghan women from diverse backgrounds to coordinate efforts and develop strategies to improve the situation of women in Afghanistan, especially at a time when women have been completely excluded from public life within the country. She emphasized, "Our goal is to reach a consensus and strategy on how to hold the Taliban accountable for human rights violations and how to improve the economic conditions of women inside the country." Reports indicate that some women protesters from Afghanistan had planned to attend the conference, but their travel was blocked. The conference comes amid severe restrictions imposed on women by the Taliban since they came to power, including a ban on girls’ education beyond certain levels, strict limitations on women's employment, the requirement of a male guardian for travel, and the prohibition of women in public spaces. The Taliban's new law on promoting virtue and preventing vice has further added to these restrictions, even labeling women's voices as 'awrat' (a private part that should be concealed) and forbidding them from being heard outside the home. At the end of this conference, participants are expected to present their demands to the international community to hold the Taliban accountable for human rights abuses in Afghanistan.

Zan News: The short film "A Letter to My Sister", created by Helen and Erfan Ahmadi, teenage siblings from Herat, has won second place at the "+Plural" Youth Video Festival in the age group of 13 to 17 years. Short Film Made by Herati Siblings Wins Second Place at Youth Video Festival December 25, 2024 Zan News Zan News: The short film "A Letter to My Sister", created by Helen and Erfan Ahmadi, teenage siblings from Herat, has won second place at the "+Plural" Youth Video Festival in the age group of 13 to 17 years. The film addresses gender discrimination in Afghanistan and depicts a brother's frustration with the unfair treatment of his sister. Helen and Erfan, who live in Herat, said that the purpose of making this film was to showcase the impacts of the ban on girls' education on their lives. Erfan told the media that he is deeply affected by his sister's deprivation of education and hopes that the success of their film can create an opportunity for her to continue her studies. Helen completed the sixth grade this year and, based on the Taliban's order, can no longer attend school. It is worth mentioning that the "+Plural" Youth Video Festival is organized by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in collaboration with a network of more than 50 organizations worldwide. The festival, which aims to recognize young people as agents of social change, empower them to share their creative views, and promote respect for differences and cultural diversity, has been held annually since 2009.

Zan News: The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has announced that in September of this year, over one million children in Afghanistan were examined for malnutrition. Photo: World Vision Afghanistan UNICEF: Over One Million Children in Afghanistan Screened for Malnutrition November 18, 2024 Zan News Zan News: The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has announced that in September of this year, over one million children in Afghanistan were examined for malnutrition. According to UNICEF, these examinations are the first step in identifying children who are at risk of malnutrition-related issues. Based on the recent report from the organization, 343,000 children suffering from severe malnutrition have been hospitalized for treatment in Afghanistan's hospitals this year. Previously, the World Health Organization had warned that the food insecurity crisis in Afghanistan is worsening, with 2.9 million children under five currently facing malnutrition. International organizations say that due to the spread of poverty and hunger, an increasing number of Afghan children are at risk of malnutrition.