Afghanistan in Crisis: Escalating Repression, Human Rights Under Threat, and a Humanitarian Catastrophe

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has delivered a stark warning to the UN General Assembly and Security Council: the human rights situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating rapidly, with women and girls facing unprecedented restrictions, and the humanitarian crisis reaching catastrophic levels. The report highlights mass forced returns, closure of health facilities, and acute shortages in humanitarian funding, painting a grim picture for millions of Afghans.
According to UNAMA, over 1.6 million Afghans have been forcibly returned, and only 27 percent of the required humanitarian funding has been received. More than 400 health centers have closed, affecting over three million people across 30 provinces. Simultaneously, the Taliban’s oppressive policies—including the arbitrary detention of nearly 30,000 people—have drastically restricted civil space and security.
Women and girls remain systematically excluded from public life. They are barred from university entrance exams, face stricter enforcement of dress codes, and are subjected to severe restrictions under the morality police. Legal barriers prevent women from practicing law, while female educators continue to be dismissed from schools. These measures underscore the Taliban’s ongoing gender discrimination and deliberate efforts to limit women’s social and economic participation.
The humanitarian situation is compounded by economic hardship, severe drought, and widespread contamination with unexploded ordnance. UNAMA reports that approximately 27,000 high-risk drug users are publicly visible, highlighting the intersection of poverty, insecurity, and social decay.
Security incidents remain high, with 2,658 recorded events in a single month, including death threats against female UN staff, illustrating Afghanistan’s fragile and dangerous security environment. Although ISIS attacks have declined, clashes between Taliban forces and Pakistani military personnel, along with internal tensions, exacerbate instability.
Freedom of expression and civil liberties are under relentless pressure. UNAMA documents censorship of media, arbitrary detention, and judicial punishments, reflecting the shrinking civil space and erosion of rule of law. Prison populations have reached over 29,500, and UN gender indices confirm that Afghan women face some of the most extreme empowerment gaps globally.
Economically, the projected 2.5 percent growth rate remains insufficient. Persistent trade deficits, declining exports, and rising imports intensify pressures on Afghan households. Limited funding, closure of educational and health institutions, and stalled development programs collectively point toward a looming humanitarian and social disaster.
The UN Secretary-General has voiced deep concern over the large-scale return of Afghan citizens and urged the international community to take immediate, concrete action to protect returnees’ rights and safeguard the Afghan population.
UNAMA’s report serves as a critical alarm: Afghanistan is confronting a multidimensional crisis—political repression, human rights violations, a humanitarian catastrophe, and systematic gender-based exclusion—that, without urgent international intervention, risks catastrophic consequences for Afghan society.