An Afghan human rights activist has won the International Women of Courage Award of the US State Department. The Department of State said in a statement Benafsha Yaqoobi and 11 other women had won the International Women of Courage Awards of 2024. Benafsha Yaqoobi has served as a member of the Independent Human Rights Commission More
UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan Richard Bennett will present his report on Afghanistan to the 55th session of the Human Rights Council today (Thursday). Bennett wrote on his X handle: “The presentation of my @SR_Afghanistan report on the human rights situation in #Afghanistan will now begin today at 16:00 CET 19:30 Afghanistan.” Representatives More
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has discussed the appointment of a special representative for Afghanistan in a closed-door meeting on the current situation in the country. UN Secretary-General for Political and Peace-Building Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo briefed the meeting on the outcomes of recent Doha conference. At a news conference in New York, the secretary-general More
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has announced the launch of three new programmes for Afghan women to increase their skills, training and job opportunities. Blinken made the announcement while addressing the Alliance for Afghan Women’s Economic Resilience (AWER) Summit on Tuesday, the State Department said in a statement. He said: “Countries from around the More
An elderly Austrian far-right nationalist, who was arrested in Afghanistan in May, has been freed as a result of mediation by Qatar. Herbert Fritz, 84, landed in Doha after his release on Sunday, the Austrian government confirmed in a statement. On arrival in Doha, the Austrian nationalist told reporters: “I think it was bad luck More
US special envoy for Afghanistan Thomas West has said the two-day meeting on Afghanistan in Doha discussed economic needs, human rights and the importance of continued engagement. West wrote on X that a strong consensus on collective interests in Afghanistan existed, including the desire to see women and girls return to secondary school, university, and More
The US Department of State will hold a meeting with Boston University under the title “University Network for Afghan Women” next week, the university said in a statement on Thursday. The statement from Boston University said the meeting would be held in the US Department of State on February 27. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken would More
Former president Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has performed Umrah in Saudi Arabia in his first trip outside the United Arab Emirates since his government collapsed in 2021. Ghani traveled to the UAE after his government in Kabul collapsed in 2021 and he has since been living there. Afghan journalist Bilal Sarwari shared a video which shows More
More than 20 people have been killed in a landslide in the Noorgram district, of eastern Nuristan province, local officials said on Monday. Eighty houses were destroyed in the incident, Information and Culture Director Maulvi Samiul Haq Haqbayan said. The landslide took place in the Nakra village of Tatin Valley last night due to heavy More
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday during ongoing meeting of envoys said there was consensus among delegates over what needed to happen in Afghanistan, a statement said on Monday. Addressing reporters, he said: “We want an Afghanistan in peace, peace with itself and peace with its neighbours and able to assume the commitments and the international More
