Edited News | UNITED NATIONS
In its first report to the UN Human Rights Council, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, warned that Afghanistan is trapped in a human rights crisis since the Taliban seized power in August 2021 and that the world seemed powerless to address.
Speaking to the Human Rights Council at the United Nations in Geneva, Mr Bennett said that "I’m gravely concerned about the staggering regression in women and girls enjoyment of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights since the Taliban seized control of the country. There’s no country in the world where women and girls have so rapidly being deprived of their fundamental human rights purely because of gender.”
Bennett stressed that in light of the grave humanitarian situation, it's the joint responsibility of the Taliban, the de facto authorities, and the international community to ensure international assistance reaches the most marginalised people in the county.
“The dire humanitarian situation is very worrying, with food security becoming more precarious by the day", Mr. Bennett said. He added that "WHO and FAO warned that by November almost 19 million people are estimated to face acute levels of food insecurity. Children in particular, are facing extreme hunger and high risks of exploitation, including forced labor and marriage.”
According to Mr Bennett, the isolation of the Central Bank of Afghanistan from the international banking system, including access to the country's foreign currency reserves, has led the Afghan economy to the brink of the collapse.
Bennett's report raised particular concern about the degrading security situation in the country.
“Security in Afghanistan is deteriorating again", he said. "I remain concerned about the protection of civilians, especially its damaging impact on children, brutal attacks on civilians mainly claimed by the Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISIL-KP) cast doubt on the de facto authorities’ ability to ensure security and protect people from harm.”
Bennett's report outlined systematic attacks against the civilian population, including revenge killings of former government officials.
“I’m particularly concerned that former Afghan National Defense and security forces and other officials of the former government remain subject to ongoing arbitrary detention, torture, extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances, despite the amnesty declared by the Taliban", the Special Rapporteur said. "I’m also receiving allegations of serious violence committed against the civilian population, allegedly by men representing local de facto authorities. They appear to act with impunity and creating an atmosphere of terror.”
The report indicates also that the situation of ethnic and religious minorities has continued to deteriorate since August 2021.
“Hazaras and Shia communities are one of the most severely persecuted groups", said Mr. Bennett. "Members have been arbitrarily arrested, tortured, summarily executed, displaced from traditional lands, subjected to discriminatory taxation and otherwise marginalized."
Bennett said that press freedom has seriously declined with dozens of journalists being imprisoned, attacked, intimidated and ill-treated and in a few cases filled or disappeared.
The justice system under the Republic has been largely swept aside with former judges, including women judges, excluded. There is uncertainty of the applicable laws and processes. Former judicial officials remain at high risk of reprisals by the Taliban or now-freed prisoners whose cases they presided over.
In response to the report presented by Mr. Bennet, the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the United Nations in Geneva, Mr. Nasir Ahmad Andisha, said that “today’s report and the recent report by UNAMA (United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan) fails to capture the full spectre and the full nature and the extent of violation, abuses across the country, insufficient resources and inability to access location where violations are taking place, particularly in the north, and the fear to seek redress from among communities under severe surveillance and mass punishment have made it impossible to grasp the dire situation on the ground. Many violations are going undocumented, many casualties are overlooked.”
-ends-
SHOTLIST
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The telecommunications shutdowns in Afghanistan in September had serious and far-reaching impacts on people’s lives, according to a briefing paper published today by the UN Human Rights Office and the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Jeremy Laurence at the Bi-weekly press briefing made the following comment on the ASEAN declaration on the right to a healthy environment.
1
1
1
Edited News | IFRC , OCHA , WMO
‘Catastrophic’ Hurricane Melissa hours from landfall in Jamaica as humanitarians rush to save lives
Millions in Jamaica and across the Caribbean are bracing for massive impact from Hurricane Melissa on Tuesday as the UN and partners are warning of a “severe” and “immediate” humanitarian threat.
1
1
Edited News | WHO
‘We need all routes to open’: in Gaza WHO calls for ramp-up of medevacs, easier access for essentials
Two weeks since a ceasefire agreement entered into force in Gaza the World Health Organization (WHO) noted progress on the flow of aid while calling for more evacuations of critical patients and eased entry for essential medicines and supplies.
1
12
1
1
Edited News | WMO , UNITED NATIONS
UN chief urges boost to life-saving weather warning systems, stresses role of climate change science
No country is safe from the devastating impacts of extreme weather — and saving lives means making early-warning systems accessible to all, UN chief António Guterres said on Wednesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | WFP
Gazans’ response to food distributions ‘overwhelming’ as humanitarians scale up under fragile ceasefire
In Gaza, the ceasefire is enabling UN humanitarians to reach more desperate people with life-saving food, but greater access is needed to contain the spread of famine.
1
1
1
Edited News | WFP , OCHA
UN urges opening of all Gaza crossings to deliver three-month food supply
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has warned food aid cannot reach everyone in Gaza unless all border crossings are opened, particularly in the north where famine was declared in August. The agency says it already has enough supplies in place to feed the entire population of the Strip for three months – if full access is granted by Israel.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNDP , UNICEF , OCHA , ICRC
Around $70 billion will be needed to reconstruct Gaza and make it safe after two years of war, UN development experts said on Tuesday, while aid agencies reported that far too little aid continues to reach desperate Palestinians.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
The UN human rights office, OHCHR, on Friday welcomed the Nobel Peace Prize committee’s decision to name Maria Machado as this year’s laureate, in recognition of her work promoting the Venezuelan people’s democratic hopes.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNRWA , UNICEF , WHO
As Gazans jammed the main route leading north on Friday after a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas was announced, UN aid teams repeated their call to open all crossings into the devastated enclave to prevent famine spreading.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UNICEF , WHO
Two years of Gaza-Israel war bring ‘indescribable’ pain: UN humanitarians
Two years since the Hamas-led terror attacks on Israel, UN humanitarians on Tuesday reiterated calls for the release of all hostages in Gaza, an immediate ceasefire and an aid surge to alleviate Palestinians’ suffering, as talks on a US-driven peace plan continued in Egypt.
1
1
1
Edited News
Syria prison survivor seeks justice for the missing with UN backing.