OWSA Contributor

The warning came during a workshop in Kabul on child and adolescent mental health. Alice James, UNICEF’s representative in Afghanistan, urged Afghan authorities, humanitarian agencies, and civil society to adopt a unified, national strategy to address the burgeoning mental health crisis.

While the company’s withdrawal may seem abrupt, it is the result of mounting pressures – both internal and external – that eroded its once-thriving business in Pakistan.

The split between the home ministry and the judicial commission led by former judge Gauri Bahadur Karki has become increasingly public, reflecting a deeper dilemma: to move swiftly with criminal probes, or to hold back until the commission delivers its findings.

Despite billions invested in reconstruction and ongoing government promises, thousands still reside in temporary shelters, and numerous public buildings, particularly schools and hospitals, remain unrebuilt.

The increase is driven by militant attacks and intensified counter-terrorism operations, particularly in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan.

The monks contend that Sri Lanka’s existing penal code already contains sufficient safeguards to deal with abuse, and that new legislation is unnecessary and overly idealistic.

In the wake of the New York Times’ revelations, key questions arise: Why was Golsteyn targeted so aggressively while the Nerkh case was quashed? Which decisions were taken higher up the chain of command? And what reforms, if any, will emerge to prevent recurrence?