Human rights and aid crises persist in Afghanistan five years after Taliban takeover

Five years following the Taliban's return to power in Kabul, Afghanistan remains gripped by severe humanitarian and human rights crises, with women disproportionately affected.

Investigations into more than 200 femicides have underscored widespread impunity for gender-based violence, exacerbated by the 2023 dissolution of the attorney general's office, which previously compiled crime data. Broad edicts continue to curtail women's freedom of movement, employment, and public engagement.

Simultaneously, approximately 40 percent of the Afghan population requires emergency aid. The United Nations announced that an international convoy of over 700 trucks carrying vital food and provisions crossed into Afghanistan from Pakistan despite extensive border closures.

In neighbouring Iran, rights advocates reported the execution of a 24-year-old woman who defended herself against sexual abuse, highlighting legal frameworks that demand steep evidentiary standards from domestic violence victims.

Sources: Diário de Notícias (DN), Expresso, Expresso das Ilhas, Jornal Económico, RTP (Rádio e Televisão de Portugal)