Civil society

The global human rights watchdog said that Afghanistan now faces one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, exacerbated by donor governments’ aid cuts and the return of 1.9 million refugees expelled from Iran and Pakistan. 

Terming forced religious conversion and forced marriage of Christian and Hindu minor girls to older Muslim men as the most concerning issue, the report notes that there are few legal options available to the victims.

The initiative, spearheaded by Prime Minister and Minister of Education Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, aims to overhaul the country’s education system to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving global landscape.

He said that in their ambitious target to set up 2 lakh multipurpose cooperative societies in the country in 5 years, 35,395 new cooperative societies have been formed so far.

In a significant announcement, Yunus declared that the interim government would formally request the Election Commission to organise the national election in February 2026, prior to the start of the holy month of Ramadan.

While the removal of the death penalty for two relatively obscure crimes was welcomed by international rights groups, many activists argue the government’s action is insufficient.

The World Food Programme (WFP) has sounded a dire warning about Afghanistan’s escalating hunger crisis, as an economic downturn, recurring droughts, and the forced return of thousands of Afghan migrants strain the country’s fragile infrastructure and limited resources.

Passing Gifts, active in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, and Koraput districts, supports rural livelihoods through backyard poultry, goat rearing, and spice value chains.