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	The serious human rights concerns and situation in Afghanistan by Michelle Bachelet UN High Commissioner for Human Rights   24 August 2021   31st Special Session of the UN Human Rights Council; Statement by Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.   At this critical moment, the people of Afghanistan look to the Human Rights Council to defend and protect their rights. The need to prevent the commission of human rights abuses of even greater magnitude and scope make this an essential meeting.   The rapid seizure of much of the country, including the capital, by the Taliban has raised grave fears of a return to past patterns of human rights violations, and stoked desperation among many Afghans.   In recent weeks, my Office has received harrowing and credible reports of the impact on civilians of violations of international humanitarian law, as well as violations and abuses of human rights, by the parties to the conflict.   UNAMA's Protection of Civilians report from 1 January to 30 June this year already indicated an increase in civilian casualties of nearly 50 percent compared to the same period in 2020. Unquestionably, that toll further increased over the months of July and August.   In particular, we have also received credible reports of serious violations of international humanitarian law, and human rights abuses, taking place in many areas under effective Taliban control.   They include, among others, summary executions of civilians and hors de combat members of the Afghan national security forces; restrictions on the rights of women – including their right to move around freely and girls' right to attend schools; recruitment of child soldiers; and repression of peaceful protest and expression of dissent.   Many people now fear reprisals by the Taliban against those working with the Government or the international community; people who have worked to advance human rights and justice; or those whose lifestyles and opinions are simply perceived to be opposed to the Taliban ideology.   There are grave fears for women, for journalists and for the new generation of civil society leaders who have emerged in the past years. Afghanistan's diverse ethnic and religious minorities are also at risk of violence and repression, given previous patterns of serious violations under Taliban rule and reports of killings and targeted attacks in recent months.   The harrowing humanitarian situation – aggravated by sustained drought, the COVID-19 pandemic, and significant shortfalls in enabling economic, social and cultural rights – has further deepened with recent events.   A month ago SRSG Deborah Lyons indicated that 18 million Afghans were facing a dire humanitarian situation. This was double the number in July 2020, amounting to one half the people in the country – and it is set to increase.   UNHCR has estimated that an additional 270,000 people have been forced to leave their homes and livelihoods since January 2021, bringing the total displaced population to more than 3.5 million. We can expect that significant numbers of people will seek refuge in neighbouring countries or outside the region.   The United Nations is committed to stay and deliver aid to those in greatest need, to support efforts to restore peace and stability and to promote the rights and dignity of all Afghans. With fundamental human rights in the balance, my Office will be working urgently to reinstate arrangements for monitoring human rights violations.   In statements over the recent weeks, the Taliban has pledged to respect and protect human rights.   Taliban spokespeople have made specific commitments to respect women's right to work and girls' right to attend school, within the Taliban's interpretation of Islamic law.   They have also said they would respect the rights of members of ethnic and religious minorities, and refrain from reprisals against those who have worked with the Government or the international community.   The onus is now fully on the Taliban to translate these commitments into reality. In seizing effective control of much of the country, they must ensure, in those areas, ongoing respect for the international human rights commitments made by the State – as well as ensuring ongoing, and indeed heightened, provision of essential public services, without discrimination, to all.   International human rights law is immutable. Enjoyment of human rights is not subject to changes in control of territory or de facto authority.   Moreover, significant advances in human rights over the past two decades have given the people of Afghanistan a strong stake in a society that values and defends human rights.   Civil society organisations have flourished across the country. Women have assumed public roles and leadership positions in the media and across society.   In 2021, 27 percent of members of parliament and one fifth of civil servants were women. Some 3.5 million girls were attending schools – compared to 1999, when no girls could attend secondary school and only 9,000 were enrolled in primary education.   Human rights defenders have contributed to the economic, political and social development of their communities across the country. A courageous and independent national human rights institution has played a front line role.   A plurality of voices has been reflected in a flourishing and diverse media. Youth movements across the country have empowered young women and men from diverse ethnic and religious communities.   A generation of young people has grown up with hope for a better future, and the knowledge of free, individual choice, while also being deeply attached to Afghanistan's cultural and religious traditions.   These significant advances in human rights have altered mindsets and changed realities. They will not easily be erased.   They are also essential to Afghanistan's future trajectory. For the development and prosperity of any country to be sustainable, people need to live without fear, without discrimination, without repression and with full respect of their human rights.   Moreover, human rights violations undermine the legitimacy of the perpetrators – both vis à vis the people, and also with respect to regional and international institutions and other States.   I strongly urge the Taliban to adopt norms of responsive governance and human rights, and to work to re-establish social cohesion and reconciliation – including through respect for the rights of all who have suffered during the decades of conflict.   A fundamental red line will be the Taliban's treatment of women and girls, and respect for their rights to liberty, freedom of movement, education, self expression and employment, guided by international human rights norms. In particular, ensuring access to quality secondary education for girls will be an essential indicator of commitment to human rights.   Government must remain inclusive – with meaningful participation of women, and representation of Afghanistan's diverse communities – to help in beginning to build confidence, and ensure a future in which all have an equal stake.   There should be genuine, inclusive dialogue, including women, and including members of Afghanistan's diverse ethnic and religious communities, in order to address the underlying problems that the country faces, the root causes of discrimination, and the enduring legacies of decades of conflict.   There should be no reprisals and no sanctions against the thousands of human rights defenders who have contributed to their people's well-being and rights. The mandate, operations and independence of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission should be respected.   I also urge open access for humanitarian assistance, and the protection of all humanitarian personnel.   I call on all States to create safe pathways for Afghan refugees and migrants, broaden asylum and resettlement programs and immediately halt the deportation of Afghans who seek protection.   Neighbouring countries will need additional financial and logistical resources to assist refugees – and all States must be mindful of their obligation to give protection and assistance to those fleeing danger.   I also ask States to use their influence with the Taliban to encourage respect for all human rights, for all. Islamic-majority countries in particular could share their successful experiences of implementing international human rights norms in their cultural and religious contexts.   I urge this Council to take bold and vigorous action, commensurate with the gravity of this crisis, by establishing a dedicated mechanism to closely monitor the evolving human rights situation in Afghanistan, including – in particular – the Taliban's implementation of its promises, with a focus on prevention.   I further note that given the urgency of this situation, an update by my Office at the coming September session may be necessary. I am also willing to update the Council intersessionally, on an urgent basis, in the coming months.   United and unequivocal action by Member States will be an important signal to the Taliban that a return to past practices will not find acceptance in the international community – neither now, nor in the future. The Afghan people have come too far for such an outcome to ever be tolerable. http://news.un.org/en/story/2021/08/1098322   * Afghanistan's urgent humanitarian needs: http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/statement-unicef-executive-director-henrietta-fore-children-afghanistan http://news.un.org/en/story/2021/08/1098242 http://interagencystandingcommittee.org/inter-agency-standing-committee/statement-principals-inter-agency-standing-committee-afghanistan http://reliefweb.int/country/afg http://www.acaps.org/country/afghanistan/special-reports#container-1672 Visit the related web page
	Armed Islamist groups kill civilians, starve populations, instill terror by ACAPS, Global R2P, OHCHR, agencies   26 Aug. 2021   Afghanistan: UN condemns terrorist blasts near Kabul airport   UN Secretary-General António Guterres has condemned terror attacks around Kabul airport in Afghanistan that have killed at least 170 people and left over 155 people injured. He expressed his support for both the injured and the families of those who have been killed.   “The Secretary-General condemns this terrorist attack which killed and injured so many civilians… He stands in solidarity and wishes a speedy recovery to those injured”, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists.   Later in the day at the Security Couincil, the UN chief personally expressed "in the strongest possible way", his "total condemnation about the horrific terrorist attack in Kabul".   According to media reports, suspected suicide bombers struck the Kabul airport gates with at least two explosions, leaving at least 170 people dead, including children, and 155 others wounded.   The attacks occurred amid crowds outside the airport where thousands of Afghans are gathering with the hope of leaving the country now under Taliban rule.   “This incident underscores the volatility of the situation on the ground in Afghanistan but also strengthens our resolve as we continue to deliver urgent assistance across the country in support of the Afghan people”, added Mr. Dujarric.   The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi: “Today’s horrible bomb attack in Kabul, in addition to everything else, should make us all even more determined not to leave the Afghan people alone”, he said. Mr. Grandi added that now is the time to do more for Afghans at risk and in need, and for those who are displaced or refugees in neighbouring countries.   Aug. 2021   Niger: Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect   On 20 August suspected fighters from an Islamist armed group opened fire during evening prayers in the village of Theim in the Tillabéri region of Niger, killing 16 people.   This attack followed the killing of 37 civilians, including 13 children, in the village of Darey-Dey in Tillabéri on 16 August. According to local authorities, the unidentified armed men “found people in the fields and shot at anything that moved.”   This was the third such attack in Darey-Dey so far this year. A state of emergency has been enforced in Tillabéri since 2017, but civilians have come under increased attack as armed groups linked to the so-called Islamic State in the Greater Sahara have made inroads in the region.   UN Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed his concern for “the cumulative impact of these frequent attacks on the humanitarian situation in the region of Tillabéri, where already more than 100,000 people have been displaced and 520,000 are in need of humanitarian assistance.”   Since the start of 2021 western Niger has experienced some of the worst atrocities in its recent history. More than 450 civilians have been killed by Islamist armed groups, with the majority of attacks targeting civilians along ethnic lines.   The recent attacks in the tri-border region of Niger are also part of a wider conflict in the Central Sahel, encompassing Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.   Last Wednesday, 18 August, at least 59 civilians were killed in an attack near the town of Arbinda, northern Burkina Faso.   The ongoing violence is also exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Tillabéri. Since the start of the rainy season in June, armed groups have targeted civilians working in the fields, which has disrupted agricultural production and transhumance at a time when over 686,000 people are at risk of severe food insecurity.   According to Human Rights Watch, Islamist armed groups have also destroyed 147 granaries so far this year in the Banibangou administrative area in Tillabéri. Over 100 civilians have been killed since the start of July, many of whom were attacked as they were farming.   All civilians, regardless of ethnicity or religion, are entitled to equal protection in accordance with International Humanitarian Law.   The Nigerien government must apprehend and prosecute all perpetrators of alleged war crimes. The authorities should bolster the early warning capabilities of the army, protect vulnerable populations in the Tillabéri region, and ensure that these efforts do not lead to further human rights abuses.   http://www.globalr2p.org/countries/niger/ http://www.hrw.org/news/2021/08/11/niger-surging-atrocities-armed-islamist-groups   Aug. 2021   Burkina Faso: ACAPS   A convoy travelling with military escort near Boukouma (Soum province, Sahel region) was attacked by a non-state armed group on 18 August, killing at least 80 people, including 65 civilians. The convoy was travelling along the Dori-Arbinda route. Civilians travel in convoys along this route because of the security situation in the region.   Some people in the convoy were IDPs who had survived previous attacks and were returning to their place of origin. Violence has caused significant displacement in this region and people are food insecure as insecurity makes it difficult to access land and rivers.   This latest attack risks further deterioration of access to resources and living conditions for the population, who are likely to avoid movement in fear of another attack.   Mar. 2021   The presence and activities of Islamist armed groups have increasingly impacted the Sahel, Centre-Nord, Nord, Est, and Boucle du Mouhoun regions, although the influence of such groups can also be seen in the regions bordering Mali and across to the Niger border.   Three groups are active: Ansarul Islam, the Group to Support Islam and Muslims (JNIM), and Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS). The armed groups are instrumentalising pre-existing tensions between farmers and herders.   Rising violence since 2019 had resulted in the displacement of more than 1 million people by the end of 2020.   Increasing violence, displacement, and COVID-19 have resulted in rising food insecurity. The number of food insecure people increased by 65.7% between December 2019–December 2020. Food stocks and crops are abandoned during displacements and farmland is not always available in host communities.   http://www.acaps.org/country/burkina-faso/crisis/conflict   Aug. 2021   Weak state protection of civilians threatens Mali’s existence - UN expert   Violence is spreading so rapidly across Mali that it threatens the very survival of the state, the United Nations expert on human rights in the country said at the end of an 11-day official visit where he heard about an increase in extrajudicial executions, other killings, kidnappings of civilians and gang rapes of women.   "I am very concerned that the serious and continuing deterioration of the security situation has exceeded a critical threshold," said Alioune Tine, UN independent expert on the human rights situation in Mali.   "A weakened and powerless state is having difficulty assuming its proper role of protecting civilian populations in the face of armed groups that are swarming throughout the country," he said.   "It is disturbing that civilian populations are also suffering violence from the Malian defense and security forces (FDSM) that are supposed to protect them."   Tine said that some people he met during his visit expressed serious doubts about the political will of the Malian authorities to take concrete steps to guarantee the security of the civilian population, especially in the regions most affected by the crisis and conflicts.   "This absolutely must change," he said. "It takes a national leap of faith and an unwavering commitment by the Malian authorities, with the active support of their partners, to restore the authority of the state and ensure the protection of civilian populations."   Tine expressed grave concern about the rapid and continuing deterioration of the security situation created by the failure of state institutions and resulting in all-out attacks on civilian populations by armed groups such as Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), and others that are consolidating their control over areas in the north and center of the country. They are also expanding into the southern regions of Mali, and communal violence is increasing in central Mali.   Civilians in the north (Gao, Menaka, and Timbuktu regions), the center (Bandiagara, Douentza, Mopti, and Segou regions), and the south (Koutiala, San, and Sikasso regions) suffer violations of their basic human rights and are even killed. The deteriorating respect for human rights is taking place in a context of widespread impunity for the perpetrators of these violations and abuses.   The UN peacekeeping force, MINUSMA, documented at least 43 extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions committed by the Malian Defense and Security Forces (MDSF) between 1 April and 30 June 2021.   Aug. 2021   ‘Millions of children going hungry in North-East Nigeria as attacks devastate lives’ – Save the Children   Save the Children is deeply concerned to find that an estimated 2.3 million children and youth, including some 700,000 children under five, are going hungry in North-East Nigeria.   A recent UN report found that 4.4 million people in the area are facing food shortages as attacks by militants are forcing farmers from their lands. Save the Children strongly condemns the reported attacks and displacement of farmers and other civilians.   An estimated 2.2 million people have fled their homes because of the violence, leaving families and children wanting food, a safe place to live and, for many children, education.   Shannon Ward, Acting Country Director, Save the Children International Nigeria, said:   “The situation is extremely dire. Millions of children have already been through a decade of suffering, violence and humanitarian crisis. Thousands and thousands have died, and many more saw their rights impacted to survive, learn and be protected.”   “The reported loss of livelihoods, land and crop coupled with the effects of COVID-19 is beyond something the community can bear. We are extremely worried that this will lead to an even bigger food crisis in the northeast of the country.”   http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/millions-children-going-hungry-north-east-nigeria-attacks-devastate-lives-save   July 2021   Displacement crisis driving up hunger rates in northern Mozambique as families flee violence. (WFP)   The UN World Food Programme (WFP) warns that without urgent funding, one of the world’s fastest-growing displacement crises in northern Mozambique risks becoming a hunger emergency as families continue to flee insurgent violence.   “The conflict has destroyed people’s jobs, lives and hopes for the future. Insurgents have ripped families apart, burning their homes, traumatizing children and killing people," said WFP’s Executive Director David Beasley who recently visited Cabo Delgado and met affected families.   “These innocent communities are now completely reliant on WFP and our partners to provide them with lifesaving food and help them get back on their feet. We must not fail them,” he said.   The displacement has left at least 730,000 people in Cabo Delgado with no access to their lands and no means of earning a living.   Many of those who fled the insurgency in Palma to neighbouring districts are being hosted by locals who themselves are living hand to mouth. The added pressure on already scarce resources is impacting host communities struggling with rising food prices and loss of income due to COVID 19. According to the latest IPC data, in some districts the host communities are as food insecure as those displaced.   Children are worst affected. Recent IPC data shows 75,000 children under the age of five are suffering from acute malnutrition. The situation is projected to continue deteriorating, with more districts likely to move into the 'Critical' levels of malnutrition.   The oil and gas-rich province of Cabo Delgado has been experiencing an increasing number of attacks by non-state armed groups since 2017. Conflict has intensified over the past year with seven times more people displaced in 2021, compared to the previous year.   http://www.icrcnewsroom.org/story/en/1957/mozambique-cabo-delgado-increased-violence-and-attacks-push-a-third-of-the-population-from-their-homes Visit the related web page
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