United Nations Report Reveals Death Threats to Female Staff in Afghanistan; Taliban Denies Involvement, Probing Undertaken
In the heart of Afghanistan, a troubling trend has emerged against women working for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). Explicit death threats targeting these humanitarian workers because of their roles surfaced in May 2025, prompting the UN to implement interim safety and protection measures for its female national staff [1][4].
The Taliban, who have been in power since August 2021, have denied any involvement in these threats but are reportedly conducting an investigation by their Interior Ministry [1][5][4]. However, the ongoing investigation has yet to yield any public findings.
The UNAMA human rights report covering May to July 2025 paints a grim picture of worsening conditions for women and female humanitarian workers in Afghanistan. Women face severe restrictions, including bans on secondary and higher education, requirements to be accompanied by a male guardian (mahram) in public, and enforcement of strict dress codes like wearing the full-body chador, especially in places like Herat. These overlapping Taliban edicts create a cycle that confines women to private spaces and increases their vulnerability to threats and exclusion [2][3].
The Taliban's actions against women extend beyond these threats. In December 2022, they barred Afghan women from working at domestic and foreign nongovernmental organizations, a ban that was extended to the UN six months later [6]. The threats made in May 2023 also carried a warning to shut down agencies and groups still employing women [7].
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken notice of these actions. In July 2023, the ICC issued arrest warrants for two top Taliban leaders, Haibatullah Akhunzada and Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani, on charges of abuses against women and girls [8]. The ICC's charges are related to the persecution of women and girls in Afghanistan, with the court stating that the Taliban has specifically targeted them by reason of their gender, depriving them of fundamental rights and freedoms [9].
The UN report from August 2024 states that at least 1.4 million girls in Afghanistan have been deliberately deprived of their right to education by the Taliban government [10]. This number represents a significant increase since the UNESCO count in April 2023, with about 300,000 more girls missing out on school in Afghanistan [11].
The situation for women in Afghanistan is critical, with women being denied access to public areas in line with laws banning them from such spaces. The ICC has accused the Taliban of severely depriving girls and women of the rights to education, privacy, family life, and the freedoms of movement, expression, thought, conscience, and religion [9].
Despite these challenges, UN agencies continue to warn that these escalating restrictions and security threats against women risk erasing their presence from public and humanitarian life altogether [2][3]. As of August 2025, no publicly available sources provide detailed updates on the progress or results of the Taliban investigation or on any long-term protection measures by the UN beyond the initial interim actions.
References:
- UNAMA - Afghanistan: Threats against female UN staff
- UNAMA - Afghanistan: Women's rights under threat
- UN Women - Afghanistan: Women's rights under attack
- Reuters - Taliban denies threats against UN staff in Afghanistan
- Al Jazeera - Taliban investigates threats against UN staff in Afghanistan
- Reuters - Taliban bans Afghan women from working for foreign NGOs
- AP News - Taliban threatens to shut down agencies employing women
- BBC News - Taliban leaders targeted by ICC warrants
- ICC - ICC issues arrest warrants for Taliban leaders
- UN - UN report: 1.4 million girls in Afghanistan denied education
- UNESCO - 300,000 more girls missing out on school in Afghanistan
- The unsettling trends against United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) women workers in Afghanistan have sparked breaking news headlines, as the Taliban, who took power in August 2021, are under scrutiny for death threats that emerged in May 2025 [1][4].
- The Taliban's investigation into these threats remains ongoing but has yet to produce any public findings [1][5][4].
- The UNAMA human rights report for the period May to July 2025 highlights a deteriorating situation for Afghan women, with restrictions on their education, public presence, and personal freedoms [2][3].
- The Taliban's actions against women extend beyond threats, as they previously barred Afghan women from working at domestic and foreign nongovernmental organizations [6].
- The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken action against Taliban leaders, issuing arrest warrants for Haibatullah Akhunzada and Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani for abuses against women and girls [8].
- The ICC accuses the Taliban of systematic deprivation of the rights to education, privacy, family life, and freedoms of movement, expression, thought, conscience, and religion for women and girls in Afghanistan [9].
- Despite these challenges, there is a pressing need for education-and-self-development and mental-health support for Afghan women to cope with the evolving environment and associated stressors caused by war-and-conflicts, policy-and-legislation changes, and general-news about their restricted rights [12].
