Zan News: Local Taliban officials in Kunar province have reported that a flood in the province has left one person dead and six injured. Social Media Floods in Kunar Leave One Dead, Six Injured October 6, 2024 Zan News Zan News: Local Taliban officials in Kunar province have reported that a flood in the province has left one person dead and six injured. Sabitullah Siddiqi, the head of disaster management for the Taliban in Kunar, said that the incident occurred on Saturday (October 5) in the Lamtak area of Narang district. According to Siddiqi, women and children are among the injured and have been transferred to the hospital for treatment. He also noted that as a result of the floods, 60 livestock were killed, 60 houses were destroyed, and 400 acres of agricultural land were damaged. This comes after floods in the Kuz Kunar district of Nangarhar last week killed three people and injured 20 others, causing significant damage to local residents. Previously, the Meteorology Department of the Taliban Ministry of Transport and Aviation had warned of the possibility of heavy rainfall and floods accompanied by thunder on Sunday (October 6) in 26 provinces of the country.

Zan News: Local sources in Kunar province report that a severe storm in Chapa Dara district caused the roof of a house to collapse, killing three children from one family. Another child was also injured in the incident. Photo: Sgt. Trey Harvey | U.S. Army Three Children Die After House Roof Collapses in Kunar April 10, 2025 Zan News Zan News: Local sources in Kunar province report that a severe storm in Chapa Dara district caused the roof of a house to collapse, killing three children from one family. Another child was also injured in the incident. According to the sources, the incident occurred around midnight on Wednesday (April 9) in the "Gulsalak" area of Chapa Dara district. The sources stated that all the deceased children were boys, but their identities have not yet been confirmed. So far, Taliban local officials in Kunar have not commented on the incident. It is worth noting that in the past, heavy rain and storms in several areas of Afghanistan have also caused roof collapses and fatalities.

Zan News - Nangarhar: Local sources in Nangarhar province report that a woman has killed her husband in the center of this province. According to sources, the woman's former boyfriend is also accused of involvement in the murder. Social Media A Woman Kills Husband in Nangarhar October 20, 2024 Zan News Zan News - Nangarhar: Local sources in Nangarhar province report that a woman has killed her husband in the center of this province. According to sources, the woman's former boyfriend is also accused of involvement in the murder. The incident occurred on Friday night (October 18) in the "Nazarabad" area of the 17th district of Jalalabad city. Local sources say the victim, an 18-year-old named Popal, had only been married to the woman for two weeks. According to sources, Popal was stabbed to death by his wife and her former boyfriend on Friday night. One source cited domestic violence as the cause of the murder, adding that the woman had been forced into the marriage without her consent. Sediqullah Qureshi, the head of information and culture for the Taliban in Nangarhar, confirmed the killing, stating that the man and woman accused of the murder have been arrested. Qureshi clarified that the arrested woman is Popal's wife and had been in a relationship with another man prior to her marriage. Both suspects have confessed to the crime during interrogation. Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, forced marriages and domestic violence frequently lead to similar incidents, with women and girls often becoming victims of this kind of violence.

Zan News: The Powerful Women Movement of Afghanistan held a protest rally in response to the shooting of Afghan refugees by Iranian border forces. The Powerful Women Movement Reacts to the Shooting of Afghan Migrants by Iranian Border Guards October 17, 2024 Zan News Zan News: The Powerful Women Movement of Afghanistan held a protest rally in response to the shooting of Afghan refugees by Iranian border forces. In a statement released on Wednesday (October 16), the movement described the killing of Afghan migrants at the Iranian border as a "heart-wrenching" event, stating, "This incident once again highlights the cruelty and violence that overshadow human lives and target innocent individuals." Members of the movement expressed deep condolences to the families of the victims, calling for a thorough investigation into the incident and accountability from the authorities. They also urged the international community and human rights organizations to take necessary actions to prevent such "atrocities" from happening again. The statement reads: "The Powerful Women Movement of Afghanistan believes that security and human rights must be prioritized, and all individuals have the right to life and freedom." The movement also called on governments and international organizations to pay serious attention to this issue and work towards preserving human lives. The Powerful Women Movement of Afghanistan emphasized its commitment to justice and equality, pledging to continue the fight for the rights of women and all citizens of Afghanistan, hoping that their voices will be heard by the world. This reaction comes in light of recent reports from the Haalvsh organization regarding the shooting of around 200 Afghan migrants by Iranian border guards. This incident occurred on Sunday night (October 13) in the "Kolgan" area at the Iran-Pakistan border and has sparked widespread reactions.

Zan News: The Committee for the Support of Former Afghanistan Military Personnel, part of the Purple Saturdays Movement, issued a statement addressing the ongoing dire situation of former military personnel under Taliban rule and called for immediate international support. Former Afghanistan Military Personnel: NATO and the International Community Have Remained Silent About Our Killing and Harassment July 21, 2024 Zan News Zan News: The Committee for the Support of Former Afghanistan Military Personnel, part of the Purple Saturdays Movement, issued a statement addressing the ongoing dire situation of former military personnel under Taliban rule and called for immediate international support. The statement, released on Sunday (July 21), states: "According to reports and statistics from the Republic era, including women, more than 300,000 military personnel were employed in various security institutions. After the Taliban regained power, their information, stored in the security institutions' databases, fell into the hands of the Taliban, making it easier for them to identify and locate these individuals." The statement adds: "Many of these former military personnel, fearing for their lives and the lives of their families, were forced to leave Afghanistan, especially illegally to other countries such as Iran, Pakistan, and Tajikistan. They face significant challenges, including economic difficulties and the threat of being deported and handed over to the Taliban." The statement continues: "Many former military personnel who remain in the country, despite the Taliban's general amnesty announcement, have been victims of violence and oppression by the Taliban over the past three years. They continue to face the risk of arrest, torture, threats, and even extrajudicial executions by the Taliban." According to the committee, reports indicate that in the past three years, hundreds of former Afghanistan military personnel have been mysteriously killed, disappeared, and in some cases, had their homes and possessions stolen and received death threats under the guise of being unidentified armed individuals. The statement mentions a video sent exclusively to the "Committee for the Support of Former Afghanistan Military Personnel" by a former female military member, describing it as one of the hundreds of tragic stories of former military personnel in the country. The statement emphasizes that former Afghanistan military personnel in the country, besides facing security threats, are also grappling with severe economic problems, poverty, and unemployment, which have caused significant mental and psychological issues, especially among former female military personnel. The statement reads: "These military personnel, who previously fought alongside NATO forces against terrorism and the Taliban to ensure international security, national interests, and defend Afghan citizens, are now living in hidden and dire conditions in their own country. Meanwhile, the international community and organizations, especially NATO, which fought alongside the security and defense forces of the former government for twenty years, have remained silent and taken no practical steps in response to the arrest, torture, humiliation, harassment, and killing of their former comrades." The "Committee for the Support of Former Afghanistan Military Personnel" calls on NATO, the United Nations, the Security Council, and Amnesty International to pressure the Taliban to immediately stop the arrests, torture, harassment, extrajudicial killings, home inspections, and confiscation of properties of former military personnel. The committee also called for the prosecution of Taliban leaders and urged the international community not to support this group. Additionally, they requested increased support and the issuance of more humanitarian visas for former military personnel, especially female military personnel. The committee urged regional countries, the international community, and the United Nations to support an alternative to the "self-declared" Taliban government to end the gradual death of the Afghan people, emphasizing that the best alternative to the "self-declared Taliban government" is a legitimate, democratic, and decentralized system.

Zan News: Members of the Justice-Seeking Women’s Movement of Afghanistan have declared that they will continue their struggle against the Taliban and will never bow to oppression. Social Media Protesting Women: We Will Never Bow to Oppression August 20, 2024 Zan News Zan News: Members of the Justice-Seeking Women’s Movement of Afghanistan have declared that they will continue their struggle against the Taliban and will never bow to oppression. On Monday (August 19th), the members of this movement referred to August 15th as a "Black Day" in the country's history—a day, they said, when "misfortune and darkness" cast a shadow over all of Afghanistan. They pointed to the "shameful" deal made in Doha that led to the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, stating that this agreement changed the fate of the Afghan people, especially women, and brought "terrorists and misogynistic criminals" to power. With the slogan "We Fight, We Do Not Accept Darkness," the members of this movement emphasized their resistance against the Taliban's misogynistic actions and called on the international community to support their rights. They also urged the people of Afghanistan to stand alongside the women and girls of the country to reclaim their lost rights.

The Humanitarian Crisis Amid the Forced Deportation of Afghan Refugees from Pakistan Photo: Stefanie Glinski The Open Wounds of Migration: Pakistan Expels, the World Watches April 19, 2025 Tamim Attaiy 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.

Zan News: The Scottish government, in collaboration with a Scottish charity, has transferred 19 Afghan female students to Scotland to pursue medical studies. Photo: Linda Norgrove Foundation 19 Afghan Female Students Went to Scotland to Continue Their Studies August 21, 2024 Zan News Zan News: The Scottish government, in collaboration with a Scottish charity, has transferred 19 Afghan female students to Scotland to pursue medical studies. According to a report by The National Scot, on Wednesday (August 21) that these female students had been deprived of their education due to the Taliban's retaking of Afghanistan. The report stated that with the help of the Linda Norgrove Foundation and the support of the Scottish government, these students have been given the opportunity to continue their studies at one of the country's universities. These students were welcomed yesterday, Tuesday (August 20), at Edinburgh Airport in Scotland by Jenny Gilruth, the Scottish Education Secretary, along with a group of students in Edinburgh. This move by the Scottish government comes as the Taliban, after taking control of Afghanistan, have banned girls from attending universities.

Zan News: The Guardian has reported that the UK government rejected the asylum applications of 26 Afghan women’s rights activists during the final quarter of 2024, telling one of the women that returning to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan would be “safe.” Photo: HENRY NICHOLLS | AFP UK Rejects Asylum Requests of 26 Afghan Women’s Rights Activists April 6, 2025 Zan News Zan News: The Guardian has reported that the UK government rejected the asylum applications of 26 Afghan women’s rights activists during the final quarter of 2024, telling one of the women that returning to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan would be “safe.” According to the report published on Saturday (April 5), one of these women—referred to under the pseudonym “Mina”—had worked on projects funded by Western governments that provided consultation and training to women prior to the Taliban’s return to power. Mina shared details of the dangers she faced in Afghanistan during her interview with UK immigration authorities. However, her asylum application was rejected by the UK Home Office. In the rejection letter, it was stated: “We believe that if you return to Afghanistan, you will not face a real risk of persecution, mistreatment, or harm due to drawing the Taliban’s attention.” The letter also emphasized: “It is likely that, due to your work, you have a strong support network, and there are no compassionate or humanitarian grounds in your case that justify granting residence outside standard immigration rules.” The Guardian wrote that many of Mina’s former colleagues have either gone into hiding or fled Afghanistan, leaving her with little to no support network. Mina told the newspaper: “I thought my asylum application would be accepted. I came from Afghanistan, I’m a woman, and I worked with Western governments. The rejection was a complete shock. Now I live in daily fear of being sent back. Having a normal life here is like a dream. I’m truly suffering mentally.” She added: “When I arrived here, I felt safe and thought I had found a chance at life. In Afghanistan, I wasn’t even seen as a human. Here, I learned to ride a bicycle—something I wasn’t allowed to do in my country. I was full of hope that my life would change, but someone hit the pause button on my life. I hope someone will press play again.” According to the Guardian, in the final quarter of 2024, the UK government rejected asylum applications from a total of 2,000 Afghan nationals, including the 26 women mentioned. Moreover, the acceptance rate for asylum applications from Afghan nationals in the UK dropped from 98.5% at the end of 2023 to 36% by the end of 2024. Jamie Bell, Mina’s lawyer, told the Guardian: “It’s shocking that 26 Afghan women’s asylum applications have been rejected in the last quarter, but this case is especially distressing because the UK Home Office claims that a woman who risked her life defending women’s rights in Afghanistan is not in danger if returned.” He emphasized: “The UK should be proud to provide refuge to people like Mina. This decision is an insult to all those who defended Western values in Afghanistan and now cannot return to their country safely. They deserve protection.” This comes as, since the Taliban’s return to power, women and girls in Afghanistan have been deprived of their rights to education, work, and social participation, with reports emerging of detention, torture, harassment, and even sexual violence against women activists in Taliban custody.

Zan News - Faryab: A 12-year-old child committed suicide in Dawlatabad district of Faryab. 12-Year-Old Child Commits Suicide in Faryab July 1, 2024 Zan News Zan News - Faryab: A 12-year-old child committed suicide in Dawlatabad district of Faryab. According to local sources, the child, named Mustafa, hanged himself at his home in the village of Quraish in Dawlatabad district on Saturday (June 29). The cause and motive of the suicide are not yet known. Taliban officials have also not commented on the incident so far.