Particle.news
Download on the App Store
49 ARTICLES
·
5h ago

Taliban Mark Five Years in Power as U.N. Warns of Deepening Rights and Humanitarian Crisis

U.N. agencies and aid groups warn that bans on women and girls amount to gender persecution, increasing humanitarian need.

An Afghan boy buys a Taliban flag from a roadside vendor in Afghanistan's Ghazni province on August 14, 2026 ahead of the fifth anniversary of the Taliban government's return to power.
Image
A member of Taliban security personnel stands alongside women who wait in a queue for food assistance in Kabul on March 25, 2025.

Overview

  • On Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, the Taliban held nationwide celebrations in Kabul and provincial centers to mark five years since their return to power, showcasing security measures, parades and development claims.
  • U.N. officials, including the special rapporteur, said this week that the cumulative system of bans and decrees targeting women and girls amounts to gender persecution and urged states not to normalise Taliban policies.
  • UNESCO reports roughly 2.4–2.5 million girls are excluded from secondary school, and UN Women surveys find most women now leave home only rarely because of legal restrictions and social pressure.
  • Aid groups say humanitarian need is at record levels with child malnutrition critical in parts of the country, humanitarian rolls rising by millions since 2021, and funding shortfalls threatening food and relief distributions.
  • Enforcement episodes such as mass detentions in Herat, recent assassinations claimed by ISKP, and limits on women working for aid groups show how coercive measures and insecurity are deepening the country’s isolation and long-term service gaps.