Afghanistan

19 September 2023

Afghan refugees in Pakistan are facing increased protection concerns, mainly because of a lack of legal documentation. In mid-September 2023, the caretaker government in Pakistan announced working on a new policy that would send back all Afghans in an irregular status in Pakistan back to Afghanistan. Since that announcement, there has been an increase in the arrest of Afghan refugees. Over 500 Afghans have been arrested, including women and children, despite some holding required documentation. The proof of registration cards that Afghan refugees were provided as a legal document in Pakistan expired in June 2023. Since then, renewal has been difficult for most given bureaucratic hurdles. Without legal documentation, refugees face arrest, torture, and deportation, and they cannot access essential services, such as healthcare, education, or employment. Between January–August 2023, 747,000 Afghans voluntary or forcibly returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan, higher than 548,000 during the same period in 2022.
(DAWN 19/09/2023, TOLOnews 16/09/2023, OCHA 06/09/2023)

20 July 2023

Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD) cases in Afghanistan are rising. As at 15 July 2023, there were 98,851 cases with dehydration, 57% of which involve under-five children. The country is seeing the most AWD and suspected cholera cases since 2022; these could increase further given heavy rains and flash floods in different parts of the country. (WHO 20/07/2023, WHO 18/05/2023, ECHO 24/07/2023)

12 June 2023

The child protection situation in Afghanistan is dire, as children are among the worst sufferers of the cascading impact of the humanitarian crisis. Economic hardships, food scarcity, and reduced international assistance have led households, particularly women-led ones, to prioritise income generation over education, resulting in children being sent to work. One in five children are involved in child labour, and 1.6 million are engaged in dangerous labour. Boys are more likely to drop out of school and work, while girls are already barred from post-primary education. Children engaging in begging, street vending, agriculture, and manufacturing have become common. Hazardous jobs, such as coal mine and brick kiln work, pose additional risks. Girls are particularly vulnerable to forced child marriage, which is increasing, while boys are at increased risk of abuse and exploitation. Despite reduced fighting, explosive ordnance continues to heavily contaminate Afghanistan, posing grave risks for children exploring previously inaccessible areas. (UNICEF Twitter 12/06/2023, UN 18/05/2023, RFE/RL 17/05/2023)

04 April 2023

On April 4 2023, the Taliban banned Afghan women from working for the UN in Afghanistan, a move that has drawn condemnation from the UN SG. The UN has requested its 3,300 Afghan employees, which include 400 women, to refrain from attending work, with limited exceptions for critical tasks. The ban will limit access to critical services and aid for 28.3 million people and make it more difficult for responders to reach the 11.6 million women and girls in need of assistance. This ban comes at a time when 95% of Afghans, including almost all women-led households, are not getting enough food. The ban will decrease household income and increase pressure on male family members as the sole breadwinners while the country is going through an economic crisis. Limiting employment options for women increases the risk of exposure to protection threats.
The ban is the latest in a series of restrictions imposed on Afghan women by the Taliban since the group regained power in August 2021. The UN is reviewing its presence in Afghanistan given the continued violation of women's rights and the significant disruption to its operations. (UNAMA 11/04/2023, Reuters 05/04/2023, OCHA 23/01/2023, OCHA 15/03/2023, Afghanaid 03/01/2023)