UN warns of deepening rights and humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan

The United Nations has issued a fresh warning about the deteriorating human rights and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, five years after the Taliban returned to power. The UN is calling on countries to halt forced returns to the country and to renew pressure on the Taliban government to end its oppressive restrictions, particularly those targeting women and girls.

Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, spoke from Kabul about the scale of the crisis. He described the discrimination against women and girls as "unbelievable," noting that girls have been barred from education beyond primary school for five years, and that restrictions on female work and movement remain severe. He also highlighted the funding shortfall, saying donors have cut support dramatically since the Taliban took power, leaving many families starving and without adequate shelter.

The BBC has gained rare access inside Afghanistan, spending time with senior Taliban figures and ordinary Afghans. In northern Afghanistan, Taliban Governor Abdullah Sarhadi, a former Guantanamo Bay inmate, was seen enforcing strict Sharia law. One case involved an 18-year-old woman seeking a divorce from an abusive husband. Her husband demanded four times the original dowry, and the governor ruled she should not seek divorce, issuing only a warning to the husband against further abuse.

A woman who protested when the Taliban returned now meets in secret. She told the BBC: "I think the Taliban are scared. They are scared of educated women. They know educated women won't give birth to ignorant beings such as the Taliban." She accused the Taliban of breaking promises to respect human rights and allow women to participate in public life.

Sky News has reported on the health crisis gripping the country. Women cannot leave home without a male guardian, making it difficult to access medical care. The ban on training female health workers has led to a severe shortage of staff, affecting all patients. In Afghanistan's largest pediatric hospital, doctors are struggling to save children suffering from hunger and disease, with multiple deaths every day. The UN has described the situation as "gender apartheid," with more than 800 edicts issued by the Taliban, at least 100 of them focused on restricting women's lives.

The Taliban have also shut down shelters for abused women, and many women are forced to work in secret, such as running home-based sewing businesses. Some are continuing their education online, risking punishment. The international community's response has been criticised as inadequate, with aid agencies warning that the coming winter will bring even greater suffering unless funding is restored.