WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES – In his latest report on the situation in Afghanistan, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reveals a 53% increase in security-related incidents, with 2,127 incidents recorded over the past three months.
In his quarterly report covering May to July 2024, recently released, the UN chief highlighted land disputes primarily in southern provinces, armed clashes, and incidents involving improvised explosive devices (IEDs) as major contributors to security incidents in the country.
In March 2023, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution requesting the UN chief to provide quarterly reports on the situation in Afghanistan and the implementation of the mandate of the UN mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
In his new report, the UN chief stated that while armed opposition groups did not present a significant security challenge to the Taliban over the past three months, they continued to carry out deadly attacks against the regime during this period.
According to the report, the two active armed groups, the National Resistance Front (NRF) and the Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF), carried out a total of 73 verified attacks against the Taliban during the reporting period.
“The Afghanistan Freedom Front and the National Resistance Front carried out 21 and 52 attacks, respectively,” the report said.
The report revealed that unexploded ordnance killed at least 39 civilians and wounded 63 others across Afghanistan over the past three months, with children making up the majority of the victims.
The UN chief noted that the local branch of the Islamic State, IS-KP, carried out at least four attacks during the reporting period, targeting Taliban members, the Hazara-Shia community, and foreign nationals in Bamyan, Kandahar, and Kabul.
The report also highlighted a call from the Al-Qaeda leader urging followers worldwide to migrate to Afghanistan, support the Taliban, and learn from their experiences.
According to the report, during the reporting period, at least four commanders and fighters of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were killed by unidentified elements in Kunar, Paktika, Khost, and Kabul provinces.
In his report, the UN chief also highlighted that despite the Taliban authorities’ claims of being committed to the general amnesty announced by their supreme leader, arbitrary arrests and extrajudicial killings of former government officials and civilians continue to be reported.
“UNAMA documented at least four extrajudicial killings, nine arbitrary arrests and detentions, and six instances of torture and ill-treatment of former government officials and former members of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces,” the UN report said.
“UNAMA also recorded one extrajudicial killing and seven arbitrary arrests and detentions of individuals accused of affiliation with the National Resistance Front,” it added.
The report highlights that under Taliban rule, women and girls continue to face severe restrictions on their rights and fundamental freedoms, including access to education, employment, and freedom of movement, resulting in significant negative impacts on their mental health.
Under Taliban rule, women and girls have endured severe restrictions described by the UN, experts, and activists as “gender apartheid,” which have effectively excluded them from public life.
