Afghanistan

These developments occur against a backdrop of worsening human rights under Taliban rule, including severe restrictions on women and girls, arbitrary detentions, and impunity for abuses.

If these working group meetings proceed as planned, they will be the first major technical talks under the Doha framework to take place on Afghan soil.

A staggering majority of Afghans returning from Iran, Pakistan and other neighbouring countries are struggling to find livelihoods, shelter and basic services as they attempt to rebuild lives in a country beset by economic collapse, climate shocks and deteriorating humanitarian conditions, the United Nations and International Organization for Migration (IOM) warn.

The holding centres often lack necessities like water and sanitation, and the people held there are lucky if they even receive two meals a day, as food stocks are often too low to supply enough meals. The need for blankets and winter kits is increasing.

A groundbreaking new report by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) reveals that the region requires approximately USD 12.065 trillion from 2020 to 2050 to adequately fund climate adaptation and mitigation efforts.

The new campaign criticises the international community’s shift toward what the group calls “silence and normalization.” Despite widespread initial outrage, some countries have engaged with the Taliban on pragmatic grounds.

Many households will meet minimum food needs only by depleting essential livelihood assets – a sharp deterioration compared with the previous year.

The decision to halt salary payments has drawn concern from civil society groups and international observers, who warn that continued economic contraction could fuel social unrest or increased migration out of the country.