UNAMA in the news as cross-border Afghan-Pakistan clashes flare and rights concerns rise under Taliban. UN mission: aid, monitor, advise.
A Taliban decree regulating divorce in Afghanistan has sparked international condemnation over alleged endorsement of child marriage and reduced pathways for women to obtain divorce. Activists warn the measure could entrench discrimination, while the Taliban defend it as aligned with Islamic law.
Protests in Herat over hijab rules have intensified as security forces deploy to disperse demonstrators. Reported casualties and arrests trigger UN concerns, while Taliban officials deny using force and describe the events as maintaining order.
Protests over dress-code arrests in Herat have escalated as police have opened fire during demonstrations. The UN and rights groups warn of serious rights abuses amid a harsher enforcement of hijab rules. Multiple arrests and at least one fatality are reported, with authorities insisting actions align with Shariah.
Across Afghanistan and Pakistan, airstrikes on the border provinces of Khost, Kunar and Paktika have killed civilians, including children, and injured many more. UNAMA has documented civilian casualties and is calling for de-escalation, a durable ceasefire, and humanitarian access as fighting continues near the border.