By Farangis Najibullah Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty August 15, 2025 Just before the Afghan capital fell to the Taliban in August 2021, RFE/RL spoke with several young professionals in Kabul who voiced their fears and anxieties about the future. We reconnected with them again this week to see how their lives have unfolded. KABUL — Ahmad Dawood juggles
8am: Following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, the country’s healthcare system has been pushed to the brink of collapse, with international aid, which formed the backbone of medical service provision, almost entirely cut off. The American newspaper New Lines reported on Thursday, August 14, 2025, that more than 23 million people, nearly half of Afghanistan’s
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty August 14, 2025 Four years after the Taliban retook power in Afghanistan, the United Nations says the ultra-conservative group “is closer than ever to achieving its vision of a society that completely erases women from public life.” Since returning to power on August 15, 2021, Taliban officials have imposed a series
8am: Sources in Taloqan say that for over 40 days, several pharmacies have been closed under the pretext of inspections. According to these sources, some pharmacies have reopened through mediation or connections with local Taliban authorities, while others have been forced to clear out their stock, contributing to rising unemployment in the province. Sources further
Amu: Taliban security forces killed at least 10 people and wounded more than 40 others during crackdowns on protests against poppy eradication in Afghanistan’s northeastern Badakhshan province in May and June, the U.N. mission in Afghanistan said in its latest quarterly report. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan International: The UN report confirmed that in June, the Taliban arrested at least 165 Uzbek residents of Faryab province following clashes between local Pashtun and Uzbek communities. The violence began when “a group of Pashtun youths threw firecrackers at a gathering of Uzbek girls”, prompting a confrontation between Pashtun youths and a group of
Amu: According to the sources, Taliban morality enforcers have established multiple checkpoints throughout Panjshir to monitor women’s clothing. At these posts, women are required to wear a full-body burqa to pass. The sources added that even girls under the age of 15 have been questioned and warned that they are not allowed to travel unless
8am: Several families, devastated economically after the Taliban’s takeover, have been compelled to force their daughters into unwanted marriages or pairings they have no interest in, due to the group’s stringent laws, the absence of clear educational programs, and the fear of forced marriages with Taliban members. Meanwhile, findings by the Hasht-e Subh Daily indicate
Afghanistan International: Human Rights Watch (HRW) has stated that the United Nations member states failing to take effective action against widespread human rights violations in Afghanistan, four years after the Taliban returned to power. In a report released ahead of the fourth anniversary of the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, HRW warned that the group has
CNN: Imperfect though these religious institutions are, they are the only option for most Afghan girls over the age of 12 who want any education. Afghanistan remains the only country in the world that prohibits girls and women from getting general education at secondary and higher levels. Click here to read more (external link).