Afghanistan

Taliban say Mullah Hebatullah will be the leader under whom a prime minister or president will run the country.

The Taliban’s increasing stranglehold over Afghanistan and the prospect of the United States (US) military forces leaving generated calls for the United Nations (UN) to deploy a peacekeeping operation to the country. Although no official UN discussions about a potential peacekeeping operation in Afghanistan have occurred, desperate civilians and several experts have proposed different types of missions and mandates.

The flights evacuating civilians from Afghanistan may have come to an end, but a deepening humanitarian crisis remains, UN Secretary-General António Guterres declared on Tuesday, as several senior UN officials restated their commitment to stay and deliver urgently needed supplies to the millions in the country who need humanitarian aid to survive.

The UN Security Council passed a resolution on Monday that calls for the Taliban to facilitate safe passage for people wanting to leave Afghanistan, allow humanitarians to access the country, and uphold human rights, including for women and children. Thirteen of the 15 ambassadors voted in favour of the resolution, which further demands that Afghanistan not be used as a shelter for terrorism. Permanent members China and Russia abstained.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres denounced Thursday’s deadly attacks outside the airport in the Afghan capital of Kabul, according to U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric. … NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg tweeted that he “strongly” condemned “the horrific terrorist attack” and said the priority of the alliance “remains to evacuate as many people to safety as quickly as possible.” ->related: Factbox: Evacuations from Afghanistan by country (Reuters).

A crisis of incredible proportions is unfolding in Afghanistan as conflict, combined with drought and COVID-19, is pushing Afghans into a humanitarian catastrophe, the UN food relief agency said on Wednesday.

UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet led calls on Tuesday for Afghanistan’s new Taliban leaders to respect the rights of all Afghans and warned that the treatment of women and girls is a “fundamental red line” that should not be crossed.

Thousands of Afghans have made their way to Panjshir, according to a spokesman for anti-Taliban forces.

It is too soon to know for sure what Afghanistan’s new government will look like and what policies it will pursue. This briefing note highlights several key issues to watch.