Category: Soceity

Rising stroke among youth; women most vulnerable

Findings by Salam Watandar, based on data from Sheikh Zayed Hospital and interviews with neurology specialists, show a significant increase in stroke cases among young people under the age of 38 in Afghanistan, particularly among women.

‘They told us to wait, but there is no aid’; widows’ right to access emergency assistance

While Islamic Sharia and international documents emphasize the right of widows and women without guardians to access emergency financial assistance, evidence from Kunduz shows that many of these women are, in practice, deprived of this right. In the Holy Quran (Surah At-Tawbah, verse 60), the poor and needy are identified as rightful recipients of zakat, and in the Hadiths, caring for widows is described as equivalent to performing major social deeds.

Devastating floods and climate change; raise concerns among residents of Ghazni

In recent years, Ghazni has increasingly been affected by climate change, with a rise in flooding causing significant damage to many families in the provincial center and its districts. Areas including Ghaib Qalandar, Hakim Sanayi Township, Khair Abad, Deh Khudaydad, Pirzada, Qala Amir Mohammad Khan, and Tawhid Abad in the provincial center, as well as parts of several districts, have repeatedly witnessed devastating floods.

Assessment of the health services situation in urban and rural areas of Afghanistan

This research was conducted to assess access to health services situation in urban and rural areas of Afghanistan. The results, based on a survey of 1,136 citizens across 32 provinces, indicate significant differences between urban and rural areas in terms of access, quality of services, and availability of medicines. Findings suggest that rural residents face greater challenges in obtaining quality health services.

Beginning of the academic year; stories of girls awaiting education

Shayesta, a 38-year-old mother of four children, says she cannot afford online classes for her daughter who has been deprived of education, “As much as we could afford, we enrolled her in online courses—once in a home-based school and in a religious school —but now our economic situation is weak, and we can no longer afford even these online classes. For now, she reviews her lessons at home.”

From planting saplings to raising awareness; youth initiative to save the environment

Reza Jafari, a 35-year-old from Daikundi who has been working as a volunteer in greening activities for the past year, says, “The main reason we turned to volunteer work was that everywhere we look in our country, unfortunately, the hills have been stripped of forests, and plants have disappeared due to people’s excessive use and population growth. A lack of public awareness has led people to overexploit mountain forests.”

Survey on women’s purchasing power in Afghanistan; the impact of unemployment on women’s purchasing ability

This survey, conducted with the participation of 1,045 women from 29 provinces of Afghanistan, provides a comprehensive and detailed picture of women’s purchasing power, savings capacity, sources of income, and their economic limitations. The findings indicate that women’s purchasing power—especially among unemployed women—has declined over the past three years, and the economic crisis has had profound impacts on households.

“They took my children”; depriving widowed mothers of custody

Similarly, Zarifa, 22-year-old from Daikundi, says that her children were taken by her husband’s family after his death. She says, “After my husband died, they took my children. They said the children should grow up in their father’s house, and argued that I am young and might remarry, so it’s better for the children to stay with them. They took my children, and I could do nothing because I am a single woman.