UN rights chief slams ‘deafening silence’ over Afghan suffering

The United Nations' top human rights official has condemned the "deafening silence" surrounding Afghanistan's worsening rights and humanitarian crisis. Volker Turk, the UN rights chief, made the remarks on Wednesday, pleading for an end to forced returns to Afghanistan.

Turk criticized the Taliban government for a string of oppressive restrictions on women and girls, including bans on public places, most jobs, and education beyond age 12. He highlighted that millions of Afghans are living in poverty, and the respect for basic human rights continues to deteriorate. Moreover, hundreds of thousands are being forcibly returned to the country from refuge-seeking nations.

Around 2.4 million girls have been denied access to secondary education since the Taliban took control in 2021, according to the UN. Turk warned that recent decrees in 2023 are making it more difficult for women to separate from their spouses and implicitly authorize child marriage and violence against them.

The UN rights office also reported a surge in arrests of both men and women by the Taliban for alleged violations of restrictions like dress code, beard length, and music. At least 449 men and women faced corporal punishment in the first half of the year alone.

Turk pointed out violations against religious minorities, former government officials, and former members of Afghanistan's defense and security forces. He expressed alarm at the ongoing forced returns despite the worsening human rights situation and dwindling foreign aid. According to the UN refugee agency, over 400,000 Afghans have been forcibly returned this year, primarily from Iran and Pakistan, as well as some European Union states.

Turk urged all states to reconsider their actions and prioritize the lives of the suffering population.