Halvash reports clash between Taliban and Iranian border guards
Khaama: The news agency stated that the clash between the Taliban and Iranian border guards occurred after “forces from Border Post 4 of the Sasoli village garrison in Hilmand district fired at several Baloch fuel traders.” Since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan over three years ago, their border guards have repeatedly engaged in skirmishes with Iranian forces. The ongoing tensions at the shared border highlight the fragility of the relationship between the two sides. The recurring clashes and lack of formal communication between the two governments indicate a deeper strain in cross-border relations. Click here to read more (external link).
Taliban 2.0 losing its grip on Afghanistan
Taliban militants (file photo)
Asia Times: Armed resistance groups killing Taliban members, lighting bombs and stirring instability as country tilts back toward civil war. The Taliban’s desire for international legitimacy has been mocked by IS-K, which has accused the regime of bowing to the West, a message that has resonated with many disaffected Afghans. Concurrently, the regime’s inability to defeat IS-K has made it look weak in the eyes of many Afghans, failing to provide the stability and security it promised when it returned to power. Armed resistance is growing elsewhere, with the anti-Taliban group the Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) – led by former General Yasin Zia – becoming increasingly emboldened in carrying out attacks on Taliban forces throughout the country. The AFF is cooperating with the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF), led by Ahmad Massoud, son of anti-Soviet military leader and Afghan hero Ahmad Shah Massoud. Click here to read more (external link).
Women ‘Raped’ Inside Taliban Detention Centres, Reveals Report By UN’s Richard Bennett
Afghanistan International: Richard Bennett, the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Human Rights, in his new report said that some “credible sources” testified about sexual harassment and rape of women inside Taliban prisons. Bennett added that he was deeply concerned by the numerous reports of sexual violence against women inside the Taliban’s prison. The United Nations on Monday released a detailed report by Bennett, which he will present to the UN General Assembly on November 2. The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights further referred to the Taliban’s claim to represent the entire Afghan people, “The Taliban regime is neither inclusive nor representative of Afghan society.” The Special Rapporteur added that the Taliban, especially at the highest levels of leadership, are mainly Sunni Pashtun men. According to the report, the Taliban claims unity in the country, but has discriminated, excluded, and rejected ethnic, religious, and linguistic groups outside the Taliban. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News in Dari – October 29, 2024
Taliban Tighten Restrictions: Even Hearing “Alhamdulillah” and “Subhanallah” from Women Now Prohibited
8am: The acting head of the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has declared that it is impermissible to hear phrases like “Alhamdulillah” and “Subhanallah” from a woman’s voice, even if it is another woman listening. In an audio recording, the official referenced a new Taliban rule that bans women from reciting religious songs or chants, emphasizing that even mature women should avoid listening to other women’s voices during prayer. Previously, he advised people to address complaints directly to the ministry’s hotline, 191, rather than expressing grievances to God about the Taliban. Click here to read more (external link).
Related
This Afghan Family Is Surviving On Leftovers From Neighbors
By Satar Furogh and Ahmad Hanayish
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
October 29, 2024
Gul Hotak and her family survive on just one meal per day — often leftovers from neighbors.
Hotak is the sole breadwinner for her family of four. Her husband is sick and cannot work. She cleans people’s houses in exchange for food.
“My neighbors sometimes give us what little food they have cooked,” Hotak, who lives in Kabul, told RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi.
“I wash clothes for others, and they give me dry bread or whatever leftovers they have from the night before. That’s how we’re getting by,” added Hotak, who has two young daughters.
Hotak and her family are among the millions of people in Afghanistan — the world’s largest humanitarian crisis — who are going hungry.
Around 70 percent of Afghanistan’s population of some 40 million people do not have enough to eat, according to the United Nations.
Women and children are bearing the brunt of the hunger crisis in Afghanistan, where poverty and unemployment have soared since the Taliban seized power in 2021.
The militant group has severely curtailed women’s rights, including barring many women from working outside their homes.
Women who are unmarried or do not have a male guardian, or mahram, face even tougher restrictions. Many face obstacles to accessing humanitarian aid.
‘I’m Losing My Mind’
Zainab and her five children often do not know where their next meal will come from.
The 32-year-old used to work as a cook. But she lost her job after the Taliban takeover. Her husband, an addict, disappeared several years ago, leaving her to fend for their children alone.
“Sometimes we don’t even have dry bread to eat, and my children go to bed hungry,” Zainab, who lives in the Afghan capital, told Radio Azadi.
“My kids had only dry bread and tea tonight,” she added. “I’m hungry right now. My head hurts a lot. I prayed and cried, asking God to solve our problems. I feel like I’m losing my mind.”
Simin is also the sole breadwinner for her family of five.
The 42-year-old said she does not have enough money to buy even the most basic food items.
“I went to my sister’s house because I didn’t have any onions or potatoes,” she told Radio Azadi. “She gave me a few onions and some money to buy potatoes from the shop.”
Simin has not been able to pay her rent for months, and her landlord has issued her an eviction notice.
“Our landlord has given us 10 days to leave the house,” she said. “I’m at a loss as to what to do. I’m so tired of life.”
‘Staggering’ Malnutrition
Women and children are the most affected by the hunger crisis in Afghanistan.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said on October 17 that clinics in the country were recording “alarming” cases of acute child malnutrition.
“The scale of malnutrition in our country is staggering,” said Mohammad Nabi Burhan, secretary-general of the Afghan Red Crescent Society.
Meanwhile, the World Food Program (WFP) has warned that it is only able to help half of the around 12 million Afghans who need humanitarian assistance.
That is due to the “severe shortage” of international funding, Ziauddin Safi, a WFP spokesman in Afghanistan, told Radio Azadi. “We cannot help more people.”
Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.
Economic Conditions Under Taliban Rule
Kabul Will Run Out Of Groundwater In Next Few Years, Warns UNICEF
Afghanistan International: The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said that due to rapid urbanisation and climate change, there may be no groundwater left in Kabul by 2030. UNICEF called on its partners to take immediate action to address the problem. The European Union’s mission to Afghanistan also expressed concern over the growing water crisis in the country in August this year, saying that drought, pollution and excessive use of water resources threaten people’s lives. Click here to read more (external link).
Taliban Forcibly Converting Ismailis In Badakhshan, Claims Rukhshana Media
Afghanistan International: Rukhshana Media reported that the Taliban has established a jihadi school for followers of the Shia Ismaili sect in Shighnan District, Badakhshan. According to the report, Taliban’s Sunni mullahs teach Sunni religious books to children in the predominantly Shia Ismaili district of Shighnan. Rukhshana Media reported on Monday (October 28), citing its sources, that the Taliban’s action is “an attempt to forcibly convert the residents of this district”, who are Shia Ismaili. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News in Dari – October 28, 2024