Afghanistan: HRW Demands Release of Eight Detained Humanitarian Workers

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities to immediately release two United Nations employees and six NGO workers who have reportedly been detained in separate incidents.

The rights organisation said the detentions are raising fresh concerns over the safety of humanitarian and civil-society workers in Afghanistan, where millions of people remain dependent on international assistance.

According to HRW, six male employees of the Women and Children Legal Research Foundation (WCLRF) were forcibly disappeared after Taliban forces raided the organisation’s office in Kabul on June 21.

The Taliban reportedly confiscated belongings during the raid before later summoning the staff members under what HRW described as false pretences. They were subsequently detained on July 18, and their current condition and whereabouts have not been disclosed.

WCLRF works on issues relating to women and children’s rights, making the case particularly sensitive amid the Taliban’s extensive restrictions on women’s rights and civil society.

HRW also said two Afghan employees of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) were detained by Taliban intelligence officials in Herat on August 9.

The UN has reportedly not been informed of any charges against the two workers and has not been granted access to them.

The Taliban have said investigations are ongoing but have provided no further details about the detainees or the reasons for their arrests.

The latest detentions come against the backdrop of continuing restrictions on humanitarian organisations and civil society under Taliban rule.

HRW has previously documented arbitrary arrests and detention of journalists, activists and other critics, while also raising concerns over restrictions affecting humanitarian operations. The organisation says Taliban policies limiting women’s participation in humanitarian work have made it more difficult for aid agencies to reach vulnerable populations.

Afghanistan is also facing a severe humanitarian crisis. HRW said in July that around 22 million Afghans required urgent food and healthcare assistance, while the UN humanitarian response plan had received less than 20 per cent of its required funding as of June.

HRW is therefore urging the Taliban to release the detained workers and ensure that humanitarian and rights organisations can operate without intimidation, arbitrary detention or interference.

The cases have also renewed concerns among international organisations about the ability of aid workers to deliver assistance safely in Afghanistan.