HRW: Taliban intensified rights crackdown amid worsening humanitarian situation in 2024
Taliban intensified their restrictions on human rights in Afghanistan during 2024, with women and girls facing the brunt of these policies, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report it published on it official website.
Afghanistan remains the only country where girls and women are banned from secondary and higher education. They also face barriers to employment, movement, and speech, alongside new rules requiring male guardians for public travel and stricter dress codes. The violators, including those who do not comply with the prescribed dress codes, face detention and, in some cases, physical violence.
The UN described these measures as a system of institutionalized discrimination, prompting four nations—Germany, Australia, Canada, and the Netherlands—to initiate legal action against Afghanistan for violating gender rights under a UN treaty.
Afghanistan’s economic crisis has left 23.7 million people in need of humanitarian aid, with women and girls disproportionately affected due to bans on employment and education. A lack of funding for aid programs has worsened healthcare access, particularly for women and people with disabilities.
Human Rights Watch emphasized in its report that the Taliban had also continued extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, and public corporal punishments, with reports of torture and mistreatment of detainees, including those forcibly returned from Pakistan.
The Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) targeted civilians, particularly the Hazara community, with several attacks killing scores throughout the year. Cross-border violence from Pakistan also caused civilian casualties. Journalists and critics faced arrests and torture, with media freedoms severely curtailed. Refugees returned from neighboring countries struggled amid economic hardships and limited resettlement options.
The UN underscored the need for stronger accountability mechanisms but stopped short of creating new systems for addressing ongoing abuses. Afghanistan’s humanitarian, political, and human rights crises remain critical concerns for the international community.
