By Tamana Taban One spring day Mah Bibi’s three youngest sons were playing with an unusual object they had found in the ground when it exploded, killing them outright along with three friends. The six children are among thousands who have been killed or severely injured by landmines and other explosive items left over from decades of conflict in Afghanistan. Seven years on and the pain is still...
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By Tamana Taban One spring day Mah Bibi’s three youngest sons were playing with an unusual object they had found in the ground when it exploded, killing them outright along with three friends. The six children are among thousands who have been killed or severely injured by landmines and other explosive items left over from decades of conflict in Afghanistan. Seven years on and the pain is still raw, but Mah Bibi* now draws on her family’s loss to save other young lives by spreading awareness of the hidden risks among her community in central Afghanistan. Afghanistan is one of the most contaminated countries in the world. About 50 people are killed or injured from mines and explosive remnants of war every month, the third highest casualty rate after Myanmar and Syria. Nearly four in five...
Read moreDetailsAs the world marked International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women this week, I spoke with the UN special rapporteur for human rights in Afghanistan Richard Bennett about the dire situation facing women and girls.
This week, an Afghan teacher got in touch with a message. She had written a short essay about the suppression of girls’ education in Afghanistan and the hypocrisy of those behind it. She wanted us to share it with you, our readers, “not for pity, but for awareness, outrage, and change”. It is a powerful piece of writing that, as...
When Afghanistan lost all internet access last Monday, Rukhshana Media reporter Hania Forootan* ventured out to check on friends and see how people were being affected. What she saw in the streets of Kabul filled her with anxiety.
The family of an Afghan teenager jailed by the Taliban for five years after refusing to marry an influential tribal figure in his 70s have appealed to the group’s supreme leader for help to secure her release.
Just weeks before their traumatic experience late last year, 16 Afghans, including a mother and two children, drowned off Turkey’s southwest coast when their dinghy capsized.
By Ruchi Kumar, Ghazaal Mohammadi and Sina. Taliban forces fire on crowds in Herat, who were protesting at manhandling of women arrested over hijab dress code. A Taliban crackdown on women’s dress code in Afghanistan has escalated into a rare mass street protest in the western province of Herat, with at least two people killed by security forces. Officials made a wave...
