UN Rights Chief Decries 'Deafening Silence' as Afghans' Plight Deteriorates
United Nations, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Sep, 2026)
Since the Taliban's return to power in 2021, Afghans' hardships have intensified, with millions facing poverty while authorities consistently violate basic human rights.
"Today, the plight of many in Afghanistan is going from bad to worse," warns the UN Human Rights Chief, Volker Turk. "Yet, it seems the world has forgotten and abandoned the people of Afghanistan to a plight deepening by the day. The silence is deafening."
Turk highlights severe restrictions impacting education, employment, freedom of movement, and public life. Notably, both men and women are being arrested by the Taliban's Office for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice for perceived violations of dress codes and other norms.
Human rights violations against former adversaries of the Taliban during the long war following the US-led invasion of 2001 in response to the 9/11 attacks, as well as against religious minorities, continue to be documented. Censorship of the media, temporary closures of media outlets, and arrests of journalists are also ongoing.
At least 449 men and women were subjected to corporal punishment by the de facto authorities in the first half of the year, according to the UN. Women, in particular, are bearing the brunt of Taliban rule. Over two million Afghan girls and women have been denied access to secondary and higher education since 2021. Fresh decrees this year further restrict women's rights, including making it more difficult to separate from a spouse and implicitly authorizing child marriage and violence against women and children.
Women are also being excluded from politics, with Turk condemning the "absolute absence of women in any public decision-making fora." A year ago, Taliban leaders restricted Afghan women—including UN staff, contractors, and visitors—from entering United Nations premises across the country.
"Such restrictions imposed on women and girls—which amount to gender apartheid—have no place in any society," the OHCHR chief emphasized.
Meanwhile, Afghans fleeing to neighboring countries face growing hostility from their hosts, and forced returns continue. According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), more than 400,000 Afghans have been forcibly returned, mainly from Iran and Pakistan, but also from Turkey, Tajikistan, and EU member states.
"Many are forced to enter a country where they have never even stepped foot, and where they will face deep poverty, inadequate food, clean water, and access to healthcare, education, and employment," Turk said.