Category: Afghanistan

The latest rules say that beards should be no shorter than “one strand” and that men’s eyebrows should not be trimmed….reports Asian Lite News

Afghan men have limited options when visiting the barbershop if they do not want to be accused of walking away looking like a trendy Westerner or a North Korean dictator, media reports said.

No haircuts that make them look like an “infidel.” No trimmed eyebrows. And no shaved faces or beards shorter than the optimal length, the report said.

Any of those styles are considered a fashion sin, according to a new six-point list of rules for barbers issued by the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, RFE/RL reported.

The issuance of the directives, initially denied by the ministry, were confirmed by a regional ministry official in the western province of Herat this week.

Azizul Rahman Mohajer said on January 23 that certain haircuts were too similar to what the “infidels in the West or North Korea” have, RFE/RL reported.

The directives appeared to single out hairstyles that might resemble that of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un — whose head is shaved on the sides and back, and topped with longer hair in a nod to the cut donned by his grandfather, Kim Il Sung, the founder of communist North Korea, RFE/RL reported.

They were also reminiscent of orders issued under the previous Taliban government in power from 1996 to 2001, including “foreign haircuts” styled after the side-shaved, long-on-top hairdo popularized by American actor Leonardo DiCaprio in the film Titanic. Anything resembling the “Beatles cut,” the iconic mop top worn by John, Paul, George, and Ringo during the British band’s 1960s Beatlemania era, was also banned.

The latest rules say that beards should be no shorter than “one strand” and that men’s eyebrows should not be trimmed. Barbers were also told not to have music playing in their shops, or to have any images that might advertise undesirable styles on display, RFE/RL reported.

It was not clear if the new rules applied only in Herat or across the country.

Afghan barbers expressed incredulity at the latest rules, with some questioning how the styles coming under scrutiny could be in violation of Islamic law and saying the order would harm their business, RFE/RL reported.

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A Russian passenger jet reportedly with six on board, including four crew and two passengers, was heading to Moscow…reports Asian Lite News

The wreckage of a Russian passenger jet that crashed in Afghanistan last week was found in Badakhsan province with four aboard survived, spokesman for Afghan caretaker government Zabihullah Mujahid said.

According to Mujahid, the crashed plane was located in the Aruz Koh area of Kof Ab district in Badakhshan province and the pilot of the plane is among the four injured people.

He also noted that the search team of the Afghan administration has been continuing their efforts to find if any other survived the crash, Xinhua news agency reported.

A Russian passenger jet reportedly with six on board, including four crew and two passengers, was heading to Moscow and disappeared from the radar screen on Saturday evening in Afghan airspace.

Torkham set to reopen

The Torkham border, a crucial crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan, is set to reopen with a relaxed travel document requirements starting from Tuesday until March 31, 2024, as reported by The Express Tribune.

Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed on the deal after a delegation of Afghan transporters and Chamber of Commerce representatives held a meeting with Pakistan trade officials at the embassy in Kabul and requested the reopening of the border for the second time in as many days, The Express Tribune reported.

Earlier, Pakistan had introduced new visa and passport requirements for drivers and their assistants, which Afghanistan rejected, leading to a disagreement between the two sides and the subsequent closure of trade.

As per The Express Tribune, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and chamber of commerce delegation engaged in discussions with Pakistani embassy staff to seek relaxation in visa requirements, citing the impact on trade.

Pakistan has now accepted the request from Afghanistan and granted a relaxation until the end of March for drivers.

The closure of trade routes had resulted in thousands of vehicles being stranded, carrying items such as vegetables, onions, fruits from Iran and Central Asia, as well as coals. During the closure, Pakistan’s exports to Afghanistan remained at zero, a customs official told The Express Tribune.

Afghanistan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid has indicated that an agreement is near, and the public can expect positive news soon.

Officials stated that currently, various border crossings, including Chaman, Torkham, Ghulam Khan, Angur Ada, and Kharlachi, are closed, causing a significant daily loss estimated at Rs680 million for both sides, The Express Tribune reported.

The closure has persisted for ten days, impacting trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Earlier in November, the Pakistan caretaker government initiated a nationwide campaign to deport illegal foreign nationals, the majority of whom are Afghans.

Pakistan’s decision prompted criticism from Afghanistan and several other nations, the Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported.

Of the more than four million Afghans living in Pakistan, the Pakistani government estimates that 1.7 million Afghans do not have documents. So far, thousands of Afghans have headed back to Afghanistan through the Torkham and Chaman border crossings. (IANS/ANI)

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The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has worsened since the collapse of the Afghan government and the Taliban’s return to the helm of affairs in August 2021…reports Asian Lite News

In a newly released report, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has highlighted that millions of dollars have been transported to Afghanistan in different shipments over the previous three months.

SIGAR stated that each cargo was worth an average of USD 80 million and was delivered to Kabul within 10 to 14 days, with the proceeds kept in private banks in the UN’s accounts, reported TOLOnews.

“The State Department told SIGAR last quarter that UN cash shipments–averaging $80 million each–arrive in Kabul every 10-14 days. According to UNAMA, all cash is placed in designated UN accounts in private banks; no cash is deposited in central banks or provided to the Taliban,” SIGAR stated in its report.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) indicated in its most recent report that around 69 per cent of Afghans lack access to enough resources for their basic necessities.

According to the research, Afghanistan’s economy has contracted by 27 per cent since 2020, and 7 out of 10 Afghans are unable to meet their basic necessities for food, healthcare, and work.

However, the Taliban said the aid money that is delivered to Kabul through the UN is spent on education, health, and development projects, and the Taliban just evaluates the progress of the aid organisations’ activities, according to TOLOnews.

“The aid given by the countries is implemented through international institutions in Kabul; this money is available to them, and the Islamic Emirate does not benefit from this money,” Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Taliban, was quoted as saying by TOLOnews.

However, some economic analysts believe that the international community’s support for the Afghan people is beneficial for Afghanistan, as these monetary packages would lend themselves to fiscal stability and economic growth of the impoverished country.

The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has worsened since the collapse of the Afghan government and the Taliban’s return to the helm of affairs in August 2021.

The Ukraine crisis has had a massive impact on the rise in food costs, effectively putting essential items out of the reach of the common man.

Although the sectarian conflict in the country has ebbed, serious human rights violations continue unabated, especially against women and minorities.

Women and girls in Afghanistan are facing the brunt of the prevailing humanitarian crisis, as they are being deprived of fundamental right of non-discrimination, education, work, public participation and health, reported Khaama Press. (ANI)

ALSO READ: UNDP: Afghanistan Faces Worsening Economic Insecurity

From its seven global stockpiles, UNHCR delivered emergency supplies worth $53.5 million…reports Asian Lite News

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said it responded to a sharply rising number of new or deepening humanitarian crises in 2023, issuing 43 emergency declarations to scale up support in 29 countries, the highest number in the last 10 years.

According to “the Emergency Preparedness and Response in 2023” released by the UNHCR, the organiSation dispatched 7.4 million relief items to serve up to 16.7 million people around the world in the year, reports Xinhua news agency.

From its seven global stockpiles, UNHCR delivered emergency supplies worth $53.5 million, the report said.

“Over the past year, we have seen a staggering increase in emergencies, with new crises unfolding and unresolved ones deteriorating, pushing the boundaries of our capacity to respond,” said Dominique Hyde, UNHCR Director of External Relations.

“Whether sparked by conflict, human rights violations, natural disasters or extreme weather events, these emergencies have resulted in a surge of displacement, leaving countless individuals and families in desperate need of humanitarian assistance and protection,” she added.

The crises UNHCR responded to in 2023 included earthquakes in Syria, Turkey and Afghanistan; a new conflict in Sudan and flare-ups of old conflicts in Karabakh and Somalia; a deteriorating crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, unprecedented mixed movements of refugees and migrants in Latin America and the Caribbean, and floods in Libya and the Horn of Africa.

It said that with the upward trajectory of emergencies in 2023 poised to persist in 2024 and the number of forcibly displaced people expected to rise to 130 million by the end of 2024, the need for solidarity and support for people forced to flee has never been as important as it is today.

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The social and economic situation in Afghanistan has darkened since the Taliban seized power, resulting in severe economic insecurity for the people of the country….reports Asian Lite News

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in its latest report, has indicated a worsening economic insecurity under the Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan, Afghanistan-based Khaama Press reported.

The UNDP report, released on January 18, revealed that 69 per cent of Afghanistan’s population faces a shortage of necessities, including suitable living conditions, healthcare, essential goods, and vital job opportunities.

According to this report, the social and economic situation in Afghanistan has darkened since the Taliban seized power, resulting in severe economic insecurity for the people of the country.

According to the UNDP report, currently, seven out of 10 people in Afghanistan are not able to meet their basic life requirements and face economic insecurity.

The findings of the report continue to highlight the restrictions on women’s rights and its impact along with the collapse of the banking system in Afghanistan, according to Khaama Press report.

Despite the Taliban’s initial promise to take a moderate approach towards women’s rights after it seized power in August 2021, the ban on higher education is just one of many steps that the group has taken to limit women’s role in society.

After seizing control over Afghanistan, the Taliban banned girls from going to school beyond the sixth grade and imposed strict rules requiring women to wear hijabs.

Taliban has banned women from working with aid agencies, both domestic and international. They closed down beauty salons and blocked women from working with domestic and international non-governmental aid groups, sparking international outrage on the matter.

Earlier this month, Human Rights Watch released a new report stating that the Taliban has intensified its suppression of human rights, especially women’s rights, in Afghanistan, Khaama Press reported.

In this report, Human Rights Watch Executive Director Tirana Hassan stated that 2023 was a year of widespread human rights abuses and war crimes across the world. She also mentioned signs of hope, indicating the possibility of a different path. She urged the Taliban to uphold their human rights commitments.

According to the report, Afghanistan is the only country in the world where women are officially banned from education. It said the Taliban has increasingly enforced repressive policies in 2023, including the suppression of women’s protests, the arbitrary detention of women activists, the disappearance of some women after detention, and their torture and that of their family members.

Human Rights Watch stated that the ban on women’s work has deprived many Afghan women of their livelihoods. It connected a part of Afghanistan’s economic crisis to the restrictions that have been placed on women’s employment, Khaama Press reported.

Highlighting the need for humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan, Human Rights Watch said nearly two-thirds of the population requires humanitarian aid due to the economic hardships faced by the people of Afghanistan. (ANI)

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