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A gathering of thousands of Afghan clerics and elders has ended with a call for international recognition, but silence on the countrys ban on secondary education for girls.

Nearly a year since their surprise military triumph across Afghanistan, not a single country has officially recognised the Taliban as the legitimate government.

Diplomats say the ban on girls education is one of the main reasons the Taliban are still international outcasts. It is resented by many in the movements ranks, who want their own daughters to be educated.

Classes were set to restart in March, until a last-minute reversal, apparently on the orders of hardliners close to the supreme leader of the movement, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada.

The all-male group of religious and community leaders spent three days discussing the future of the country, largely united under Taliban rule after decades of civil war. There had been hope they might offer political incentives or cover for the Taliban leadership to reverse course on the ban. But only two out of more than 4,500 participants called for the reopening of secondary schools for girls, Afghanistans Tolo television channel reported.

And in their final communique, the clerics made only passing reference to the need for religious and modern education and to respect the rights of women. It did not clarify if those rights include schooling.

Its hard to get too excited about vague references to education and womens rights at the end of the Talibans big meeting when the Taliban previously made a very clear promise to reopen all schools only to break that promise, said Heather Barr, associate womens rights director at Human Rights Watch. Donors, diplomats and the UN need to act as though this ban is likely permanent Its far past time for the international community to respond to their gender apartheid in ways more tangible than statements of deep concern.

Akhundzada came to Kabul from his base in the southern city of Kandahar to address the gathering. It was his first known trip to the capital since Taliban fighters seized it last August.

He lashed out at foreign demands on the government, as the UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet called for an end to systematic oppression of women in the country. Women are blocked from working in most sectors outside health and education, require a male guardian for long-distance travel and have been ordered to cover their faces in public.

The meeting was closed to media but in an audio recording Akhundzada, a hardliner whose son was a suicide bomber, warned the international community against interfering in Afghanistan.

Thank God, we are now an independent country. [Foreigners] should not give us their orders, it is our system and we have our own decisions, he said, according to the official Bakhtar news agency.

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Meeting of Afghan clerics ends with silence on education for girls - The Guardian

It comes as the top UN rights forum in Geneva agreed to Member States request for a rare Urgent Debate on the issue this Friday.

Addressing the Council, Fawzia Koofi, former deputy speaker of the Afghan Parliament, said lack of opportunity and ailing mental health, was taking a terrible toll: "Every day there is at least one or two women who commit suicide for the lack of opportunity, for the mental health, for the pressure they receive.

The fact that girls as young as nine years old are being sold, not only because of economic pressure, but because of the fact thatthere is no hope for them, for their family, it is not normal.

Echoing widespread international concern for ordinary Afghans, UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet condemned the massive unemployment of women, the restrictions placed on the way they dress, and their access on basic services.

Women-owned and operated businesses have been shut down, Ms. Bachelet added, saying that 1.2 million girls no longer have access to secondary education, in line with a decision by the de facto authorities who took power in August 2021.

The de facto authorities I met with during my visit in March this year, said they would honour their human rights obligations as far as [being] in line with Sharia law.

Yetdespite these assurances, we are witnessing the progressive exclusion of women and girlsfrom the public sphere and their institutionalised, systematic oppression.

Ms. Bachelet encouraged the re-establishment of an independent mechanism to receive complaints from the public and protect victims of gender-based violence.

Beyond being right, it is also a matter of practical necessity,said the High Commissioner.Amid the economic crisis, womens contribution to economic activity is indispensable, which itself requires access to education, and freedom of movement and from violence.

Also speaking at the Human Rights Council, its Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, described a chilling attempt by the Taliban to make women invisible, by excluding them almost entirely from society.]

As an example of the de facto authorities intentions to impose absolute gender discrimination, the independent rights expert also noted thatwomen are now represented by men at Kabuls Loya Jirga, or grand assembly of religious scholars and elders.

Such measures contravene Afghanistans obligations under numerous human rights treaties to which it is a State party, Mr. Bennett insisted before adding that the situation for women massively diminish(ed) womens lives, deliberately attack women and girls autonomy, freedom and dignity, and create a culture of impunity for domestic violence, child marriage and sale and trafficking of girls, to name but a few of the consequences.

UNICEF/Sayed Bidel

Girls at school in Herat, Afghanistan.

Despite public assurances from the Taliban to respect women and girls rights, they are reinstituting step by step the discrimination against women and girls. Said Ms. Koofi, a former member of the peace negotiation team with the Taliban said that the fundamentalistsobviously have not kept their promises of what they were telling us during the negotiations, in terms of their respect for Islamic rights for women.

Ms. Koofi added thatin fact, what they do is in contradiction to Islam. Our beautiful religion starts with reading. But today, Taliban under the name of the same religion, deprive 55 percent of the society from going to school.

For Nasir Andisha, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the UN in Geneva,the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan demands nothing less than a robust monitoring mechanism to collect, consolidate, and analyse evidence of violations, to document and verify information, to identify those responsible to promote accountability and remedies for victims, and to make recommendations for effective prevention for future violations.

A draft resolution on the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan is being negotiated at the Human Rights Council and will be considered on 7 July.

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In Afghanistan, women take their lives out of desperation, Human Rights Council hears - UN News

A magnitude 6 earthquake that hit Afghanistan on June 22 has killed more than 1,000 people and left more than 1,500 injured, according to United Nations numbers, leaving parts of the country reeling after the deadliest earthquake the country has experienced in two decades. As aftershocks continue to rock the region, some areas are still awaiting aid.

More than 10,000 homes, most of which were made from mud and clay, have been damaged or destroyed.The earthquake struck Afghanistans remote eastern region about 46 kilometers from the Pakistan border, and some affected areas are so difficult to reach that the Taliban has struggled to deliver aid. Logistics pose a significant challenge. Deliveries must be flown into the capital city of Kabul, then loaded onto smaller trucks and helicopters for the last legs of the journey to getting aid into the more remote villages.

Afghanistan is already suffering from a multitude of humanitarian issues, complicating disaster recovery. The country spiraled into a hunger and economic crisis after U.S. armed forces withdrew in August and the Taliban took over the Afghan government, prompting the international community to cut off non-humanitarian aid.

Immediately after the earthquake, the Taliban issued an international call for help.The U.S. on Tuesday pledged an additional $55 million in humanitarian assistance for shelter materials, household items and sanitation efforts following the earthquake. In total, the United States has sent more than $700 million in humanitarian assistance over the last year, according to the State Department, in an effort to help the people of Afghanistan.

Humanitarian aid is difficult to manage even with effective programs in place, but Afghanistan could pose extra concerns, especially for those donating from the U.S. given that the U.S. has put the Taliban under a number of sanctions. Donating on crowdfunding sites cannot be transferred to Afghanistan banks due to those sanctions. The best and most effective method to get aid to those affected by the earthquake is to donate to NGOs.The following NGOs have a proven record of helping in a humanitarian crisis. Donate to assist those affected by Wednesdays earthquake.

Here are some ways to help

Donate to the World Food Programme: Afghanistan was suffering from a food crisis even before the earthquake, which has now been exacerbated.

With over 1,000 dead, children have invariably been affected, either directly or through loss of a family member. UNICEF has been supporting children around the world for nearly 80 years.

The Red Cross and The Red Crescent, have already mobilized to help the people of Afghanistan with food and aid delivery.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is assisting the Afghan government to help as many people as possible.

Islamic Relief is a Muslim NGO founded in the UK in 1984 by doctors and activists dedicated to disaster response.

UNHCRs work in Afghanistan focuses on protecting the most vulnerable and assisting newly displaced Afghans with life-saving shelter, food, water and core relief items.

With thousands displaced, the International Rescue Committee can help provide aid, health care and support to Afghans affected by the earthquake.

International Medical Corps was the first to respond in the Gayan district of Afghanistan, mobilizing staff and ambulances and providing critical trauma care to impacted communities.

Save the Children has been directly supporting communities and protecting childrens rights across Afghanistan.

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How to help victims of the earthquake in Afghanistan - PBS NewsHour

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The devastating June 22 earthquake that struck in eastern Afghanistan intensified the ongoing humanitarian crisis the Afghan people have endured for too long. U.S.-funded partners on the ground responded rapidly with medical care, and President Biden directed an assessment of additional needs in the wake of the natural disaster. In response, the United States will provide nearly $55 million in additional immediate humanitarian assistance through the U.S. Agency for International Development to urgently reach those most affected by the natural disaster. This new funding brings total U.S. humanitarian assistance to over $774 million in the last year.

This additional disaster relief assistance will reach people affected by the earthquake with critical relief items: shelter materials; pots for cooking; jerry cans to collect and store water; blankets; solar lamps; clothes, and other household items. Assistance will be provided for water, sanitation, and hygiene supplies to prevent waterborne disease outbreak in the aftermath of this natural disaster. The funding will also support other high need areas throughout the country.

The United States has an enduring commitment to the people of Afghanistan, and we welcome and encourage support from our international partners in this time of great need.

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Assistance for Afghanistan to Respond to June 22 Earthquake - United States Department of State - Department of State

By ANI

KABUL: Taliban is again making headlines for its cryptic practices the latest being a Talibani commander using a military helicopter to take his newlywed bride home, media reported citing sources.

According to local sources in Logar province, the commander allegedly flew his newlywed bride from Logar to Khost province, in eastern Afghanistan, using a military helicopter.

As per Afghanistan's local media, Khaama Press, the Talibani figure was referred to as a commander of the Haqqani branch of the Taliban on social media. The sources claimed that he resides in Khost and that his wife's residence is in the Barki Barak district of Logar in the east of Afghanistan.

Providing further details of the situation, the sources said that the commander flew his wife on Saturday, to the Shah Mazar region of the Barki Barak district of Logar province. The wife of the Taliban commander was seen being transported in a military helicopter.

In a video that went viral on social media, the commander is seen landing near a house. Furthermore, it is claimed that this commander gave his father-in-law 1,200,000 Afghanis as dowry in exchange for his daughter's hand in marriage, as per the media portal.

However, defending the commander, the Taliban's deputy spokesperson, Qari Yusuf Ahmadi, argued that the allegations are false. He further termed the commentary on the commander as "propaganda of the enemy". He added that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan dismisses the allegation of a military helicopter being used by the Talibani commander.

People on social media registered their protest over the viral video that was circulated on social media. It incited outrage among the public. People condemned the action and said that it is a blatant misuse of public property.

This occurred after the Taliban have been in control for almost a year, but the group has notably failed to establish a government and gain domestic legitimacy and international recognition.

Taliban is also infamous for its crackdown on women's rights. The list of Taliban violations of the rights of women and girls is long and growing, said Heather Barr, Women's Rights Division at Human Rights Watch (HRW), as she raised growing concerns about the violation of the rights in the country.

When the Taliban announced in May that women and girls should not leave their homes unless necessary and should do so only with their whole bodies including their faces covered, only a few were surprised. Others, who lived through the last period of Taliban rule from 1996 to 2001, were not.

"Some diplomats and other Afghanistan watchers who listened to Taliban leaders promise during negotiations and at their news conference two days after seizing the capital that they would respect all women's rights this time, including their freedom of movement and access to employment and education," Barr had said.

She said Afghan women's rights activists warned all along that the Taliban's promises to respect women's rights were false. Afghan rights activists warned in the days after the Taliban took the capital, Kabul, on August 15, 2021, that the group would intensify their crackdown on women." The list of Taliban violations of the rights of women and girls is long and growing," the high-ranking HRW official said.

Since the Taliban takeover, there have been many statements condemning their abuses from an impressive range of international and regional organizations and countries. What there has not been, however, is a clear plan for how the countries condemning Taliban abuses will work together to defend the rights of Afghan women and girls and pressure the Taliban to end these abuses.

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Afghanistan: Taliban commander takes home his newly-wed bride in military helicopter - The New Indian Express