Afghanistan

Afghanistan: Prominent policewoman another casualty for women’s rights in Afghanistan

Published by on September 16, 2013

16 September 2013 Amnesty International The killing of one of Afghanistan’s most senior woman police officers is the latest setback for women’s rights in Afghanistan, Amnesty International said. Lieutenant Negar, 38, died on Monday morning in hospital after two unidentified gunmen on a motorbike shot her in the neck on Sunday near police headquarters in Lashkar Gah, the capital of restive Helmand province. She had been an outspoken advocate for the protection of women who challenge the use of violence against women and girls. Other women in the public eye – including her predecessor, an Indian writer and two representatives Read the full article…

Afghanistan: summary of SHSH commentary

Published by on September 9, 2013

Still Human Still Here (SHSH) is a “coalition of over 50 organisations that are campaigning to end the destitution of thousands of refused asylum seekers in the UK”. In June this year, they issued a commentary on the UKBA’s Operational Guidance Note (OGN) on Afghanistan. The commentary identifies inconsistencies and omissions between Afghanistan country of origin information (COI) and case law and the conclusions reached by the OGN. NCADC volunteer Jacqueline has summarised the commentary on Afghanistan, with a particular focus on issues relevant to Afghan asylum-seekers in the UK. You can read the full text of SHSH’s commentary here. Read the full article…

Afganistan: Number of civilian casualties in Afghanistan rises in first half of 2013

Published by on July 31, 2013

United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) 31 July 2013 KABUL, 31 July 2013 – The number of Afghan civilians killed or injured in the first six months of 2013 rose by 23 per cent compared to the same period last year, according to the latest Mid-Year Report on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict in Afghanistan, produced by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). Read full report here.

Afghanistan: Asia Briefing N°141

Published by on June 26, 2013

International Crisis Group 26 June 2013 Political parties are developing slowly in Afghanistan, discouraged by electoral laws and fragmented ethnic politics, but starting to shed their legacy as armed groups. Their newfound legitimacy will face its most serious challenge during the 2014 pres- idential election and 2015 parliamentary polls, as parties scramble to ensure their place in the new order that will follow the end of President Hamid Karzai’s constitutional mandate. Many obstacles remain, as the outgoing government threatens to revoke the licences of many, if not all, political parties, and introduce tough regulations on politi- cal party activity. The Read the full article…

Afghanistan: Failed States Index 2013: The Troubled Ten

Published by on June 24, 2013

Fund for Peace By J. J. Messner & Kendall Lawrence 24 June 2013 Afghanistan Afghanistan, 12 years and billions of dollars later, continues to represent one of the most unstable countries in the world. Although the United States and its NATO allies have begun their drawdown, the process was hampered in 2012 by high rates of ‘green on blue’ violence, with members of the Afghan military and police attacking their international partners. This led to an initial halt in joint patrols and then increased vetting for new recruits and re-vetting of current recruits in an attempt to enhance security. Overall, Read the full article…

Afghanistan: Worsening violence against children in Afghanistan

Published by on June 21, 2013

IRIN 21 June 2013 KABUL, 21 June 2013 (IRIN) - One of the victims of last month’s attack on the International Organization for Migration (IOM) compound in the Afghan capital is still to be identified - a six year old boy. The child’s body, found near the attack site, has not been claimed and the police have not been able to find the boy’s parents. As a result of the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan, the number of child casualties in the first four months of 2013 was 414 - a 28 percent jump from the 327 last year, according to Read the full article…

A commentary on the June 2013 Afghanistan Operational Guidance Note

Published by on June 19, 2013

Still Human Still Here 19 June 2013 This commentary identifies what the ‘Still Human Still Here’ coalition considers to be the main inconsistencies and omissions between the currently available country of origin information (COI) and case law on Afghanistan and the conclusions reached in the June 2013 Afghanistan Operational Guidance Note (OGN) issued by the UK Border Agency. Where we believe inconsistencies have been identified, the relevant section of the OGN is highlighted in blue. An index of full sources of the COI referred to in this commentary is also provided at the end of the document. This commentary is Read the full article…

Afghanistan: UK Border Agency Operational Guidance Note June 2013

Published by on June 18, 2013

Published by UK Border Agency June 2013 IMPORTANT: also see commentary on the June 2013 Afghanistan Operational Guidance Note by Still Human Still Here. 1. Introduction 1.1 This document provides UKBA case-owners with guidance on the nature and handling of the most common types of claims received from nationals/residents of Afghanistan including whether claims are or are not likely to justify the granting of asylum, Humanitarian Protection or Discretionary Leave. Case owners must refer to the relevant Asylum Instructions for further details of the policy on these areas. 1.2 Caseowners must not base decisions on the country of origin information in Read the full article…

Afghanistan: UN: More than 3,000 Afghan civilians killed and wounded in the first five months, one-fifth of them children

Published by on June 11, 2013

Sharon Behn, Rawa News 11 June 2013 The head of the U.N. Assistance Mission to Afghanistan, Jan Kubis, said the situation in the country has worsened, with civilian casualties up 24 percent compared to the same period last year. The United Nations said civilian casualties from the conflict in Afghanistan have increased dramatically this year. News of the figures came as 14 people were killed by a Taliban suicide bomber Tuesday near Afghanistan’s Supreme Court. The increasing number of civilians killed could impact Afghanistan national elections next year and its transition to security independence as international combat forces leave next Read the full article…

Afghanistan: UN mission deplores deadly attack against Afghan government workers

Published by on June 11, 2013

UN News Service>>> 11 June 2013 The United Nations mission in Afghanistan strongly condemned today’s attack against government employees in the capital, Kabul, which killed at least 17 civilians and injured 40 - the latest incident amid a worsening security environment in the country. Initial reports indicate that a suicide attacker detonated a vehicle packed with explosives in the parking lot of the city’s Supreme Court building, next to three shuttle buses transporting civilian court employees to their homes in the afternoon. The Taliban have reportedly claimed responsibility. “Today’s deplorable terrorist attack in an area densely populated with Afghan civil Read the full article…