"Escalating Repression: 2 Years of Taliban Rule in Afghanistan"

Human Rights Watch has reported that the Taliban has intensified its repression of women's rights, media freedom, and access to information since taking control of Afghanistan in August 2021. The Taliban has imposed severe restrictions on women and girls, denying them education, work, movement, and assembly. The country is facing a dire humanitarian crisis, with two-thirds of the population in urgent need of assistance, including four million people suffering from acute malnutrition. The Taliban's policies have exacerbated food insecurity, particularly for women and girls, who have lost jobs and are denied access to education. The Taliban's ban on women working with NGOs has further harmed women's livelihoods and hindered the distribution of aid. Donor countries are urged to address the crisis without reinforcing the Taliban's repressive policies. The Taliban's restrictions on media have also hindered access to information, while arbitrary detentions, torture, and summary executions continue. The Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan has targeted schools and mosques, particularly ethnic Hazara Shia. Thousands of Afghans who fled the country remain in precarious conditions in third countries, and governments are urged to fulfill their commitments and provide safety pathways for those at risk.