KabulNow

We are pleased to welcome Habiba Sarabi to the Board of Etilaatroz Foundation. With a long record of public service and advocacy, including her work on women’s rights and governance, she brings valuable insight to the Foundation’s work. etrfoundation.org/2026/03/habiba…

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that Sweden cannot deport an Afghan national, finding that doing so would expose him to a real risk of ill-treatment in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights. Read more: kabulnow.com/?p=52039

Human Rights Watch (HRW), an international human rights organization, said on Friday that the recent Pakistani airstrike on a rehabilitation center in Kabul was “unlawful” and may amount to a “war crime,” calling for an impartial investigation and accountability. Read more: kabulnow.com/?p=52032

We are pleased to welcome William McCarren as Chair of the Board of Etilaatroz Foundation. With decades of experience supporting independent media and press freedom globally, his leadership comes at a critical moment for journalism on Afghanistan. etrfoundation.org/2026/03/willia…

About 20,000 families have been displaced across Afghanistan due to recent clashes between Pakistani forces and Taliban fighters, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday. The clashes, which erupted on February 26, affected 64 districts in 12 provinces, according to the WFP. The UN agency said it is providing lifesaving assistance, including fortified biscuits, cash, and food, in the hardest-hit areas. Read more: kabulnow.com/?p=52027

A man was killed by unknown assailants in northern Balkh province on Thursday, local sources reported, as mysterious killings and violent crimes continue to rise across Afghanistan under Taliban rule. Read more: kabulnow.com/?p=52022

The Taliban Ministry of Education on Thursday marked the start of the new academic year in Afghanistan with a ceremony, but girls above the sixth grade remained excluded from classrooms for a fifth consecutive year. Read more: kabulnow.com/?p=52014

Heavy rainfall and flooding across several provinces in Afghanistan over the past 24 hours killed at least five people and injured six others, according to the Taliban-run National Disaster Management Authority. Read more: kabulnow.com/?p=52008

At least 617 people were killed and 537 wounded across Afghanistan in 2025, marking a rise of more than 50% from the previous year, according to a report by UK-based rights group Rawadari. The group’s annual report, released on Wednesday, said the 1,154 total casualties resulted from targeted and suicide bombings, Pakistani airstrikes, landmine explosions, explosive remnants of war, and targeted or extrajudicial attacks. Victims included former government employees and their families, journalists, civil society activists, protesters, women, children, tribal elders, and individuals accused of links to anti-Taliban groups. Read more: kabulnow.com/?p=52001

Taliban authorities intensified discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities across Afghanistan in 2025, denying them equal access to jobs, public services, economic resources, aid, and religious freedoms, human rights group Rawadari said in a new report. Read more: kabulnow.com/?p=51994

Adam Boehler, the U.S. Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs, referring to the release of Dennis Coyle by the Taliban, said that “hostage diplomacy is dead.” The U.S. Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs, in a post on X along with a photo showing him speaking with Dennis Coyle, wrote: “No trades. No money. Hostage diplomacy is dead.” He emphasized: “We will not stop until everyone is home.” Read more: kabulnow.com/?p=51991

Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, says he met and held talks with Richard Lindsay, the United Kingdom’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, in Islamabad. In a post on X today (Wednesday, March 25), Pakistan’s special envoy wrote: “We held a constructive discussion on issues of mutual interest — the situation in Afghanistan, evolving regional dynamics, and the current security environment with reference to the growing threat of terrorism.” Read more: kabulnow.com/?p=51987

The Taliban Court of Appeals in Balkh has announced the public flogging of two men in the district of “Zari.” The court, in a statement, said that these individuals were publicly flogged today (Wednesday, March 25) on charges of “illicit relations” and “abducting a woman from her home.” According to the Taliban Court of Appeals’ statement, each of these individuals received 39 lashes. Read more: kabulnow.com/?p=51983

The German government has announced that it has deported two “criminal migrants” to Afghanistan in recent days. According to Deutsche Welle, these individuals were transferred from a prison in Hamburg to the airport and then sent to Kabul on a regular flight via Istanbul. Authorities in Hamburg said that one of the individuals is a 30-year-old man who had been convicted of crimes such as causing bodily harm and assaulting law enforcement officers. Read more: kabulnow.com/?p=51980

The organization “Women for Afghanistan” has announced the holding of a two-day conference titled “Towards Unity and Trust,” with the participation of a number of Taliban opponents and political and civil activists in London. According to a statement by the organization, the meeting began yesterday (March 24)and will continue today (Wednesday, March 25). Read more: kabulnow.com/?p=51977

United Nations experts have called on the Taliban and Pakistan to “commit to a permanent ceasefire, resolve the root causes of conflict, and ensure accountability for violations of international law.” In a statement, they also condemned Pakistan’s attack on a drug rehabilitation center in Kabul and expressed sympathy with the families of the victims. “We condemn this attack, express our deepest condolences to the families of the victims, and wish a speedy recovery to the injured,” the experts said. Read more: kabulnow.com/?p=51974

The Taliban police command in Faryab says that armed robbers entered a gold shop in Andkhoy district and killed two goldsmiths who were brothers, and injured another person. In a statement, the command said that the incident occurred yesterday afternoon (Monday, March 23) in Andkhoy city, Faryab. The Taliban police command said that the two brothers were killed after they resisted the armed robbers. Read more: kabulnow.com/?p=51971

An Afghan citizen has been killed in U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran. The Tasnim News Agency reported that an Afghan national named Kowsar Adeli was killed during the strikes carried out by the United States and Israel. According to the report, the incident occurred early Monday (March 23), when attacks targeted residential areas in the Khair Abad district of Waramin, Iran. No further details have been released. Read more: kabulnow.com/?p=51968

The United Kingdom will provide £3 million to support vulnerable people in Afghanistan. Richard Lindsay, the UK’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, has announced an additional £3 million in aid to the country. In a post on X today (Tuesday, March 24), he said: “UKis providing an additional £3m (AFN 257m) to provide essential nutrition commodities and support for people affected by natural disasters and other shocks, bringing our bilateral assistance to Afghanistan this financial year to £154m (AFN 13.18bn) helping those most in need.” Read more: kabulnow.com/?p=51963