Afghanistan

Despite the Islamic State’s setbacks in the Middle East, the assessment reveals that ISIS-K remains operationally capable and aggressive, leveraging its influence beyond South Asia to inspire and enable attacks across the globe.

Families that had built lives in Pakistan over decades now find themselves in refugee camps or on the streets of Kabul and other major cities, with no access to humanitarian aid.

Severe funding shortfalls have already forced the closure of more than 200 health facilities, impacting nearly two million people, as well as resulted in significant reductions to essential malnutrition services.

The Taliban, long known for maintaining a united front and keeping internal conflicts out of public view, is now exhibiting unprecedented internal discord.

The situation in Afghanistan is dire, with children under five suffering the most. Health experts, international aid organisations, and the government are carving ways to work together to prevent further loss of life.

UNAMA’s quarterly report highlighted sections of the ministry’s law, claiming it imposes new restrictions on women. It stated that the law formalises previous decrees and broadens existing limitations while introducing additional ones.

Funding for mine action has halved over the past two years, leading to a significant reduction in the workforce. Today, only 3,000 of the 15,000 Afghan de-miners employed before the Taliban takeover are still working, with more than 40 percent losing their jobs.

Pakistan can see the writing on the wall and knows that it must refrain from using the heyday of the alliance during the early years of the Cold War as the baseline because that world no longer exists. More importantly, Pakistan is no longer the same.