AGP Executive Report

Kabul Waste Crisis: Residents in far-flung neighborhoods say Kabul Municipality has failed to install garbage bins, forcing people to dump trash on roads, alleys, and drainage channels—raising health and disease fears as temperatures climb. UN Rights Pressure: The UN criticized Taliban’s new spouse-separation decree, saying it entrenches discrimination and points to legal space for child marriage. Cross-Border Civilian Harm at the UN: India and Pakistan traded sharp accusations at the UN Security Council over attacks on Afghan civilians, with India citing UNAMA figures tied to Pakistan-linked strikes, including an alleged Ramadan airstrike on Kabul’s Omid rehab center. Hajj Health & Logistics: Taliban says 30,000 Afghans have completed transfer to Saudi Arabia for Hajj, with medical teams included—though some pilgrims complain about services after paying large fees. Health Education Under Strain: Taliban detained staff at Bamiyan’s Baran Health Sciences Institute and sealed the center, disrupting girls’ health-science training. Aid & Returns: IOM reports continued Afghan migrant returns from Iran and Pakistan, with many arriving needing shelter, jobs, and medical help.

UN Security Council Clash: India hit Pakistan at the UNSC, citing UNAMA figures that cross-border violence in Afghanistan caused about 750 civilian deaths and injuries in early 2026, and accusing Islamabad of a “barbaric” Ramadan airstrike on Kabul’s Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital. Pakistan fired back with a “mask of a victim” reply, saying India exports terrorism and violates international law. Afghanistan Civilian Harm: The dispute keeps circling back to attacks on medical facilities and civilian protection—an issue that’s now dominating the week’s diplomacy. Child Marriage & Forced Choices: Reports from Ghor describe families selling daughters to survive hunger and debt, while separate coverage highlights Taliban rules that legitimize child marriage and deepen women’s rights restrictions. Return-Migration Pressure: UN warnings point to a major return wave—nearly 2.7 million people from Iran and Pakistan by end-2026—raising new strain on health and services. Health System Strain: A Kabul engineering graduate reportedly died after self-immolation, underscoring the mental-health and economic crisis feeding health emergencies.

Unexploded Ordnance Toll: Taliban police in Helmand say an artillery shell detonated after children threw it into a fire in Khanashin district, killing two kids (ages 3 and 10) and injuring their mother. Child Marriage Under Pressure: A BBC report spotlights Ghor families selling daughters into marriage or domestic work to survive hunger and debt, with fathers describing “impossible choices” as aid shrinks. Forced Marriage as Policy: Separate coverage says Taliban rules on family separation and child marriage are being used to legitimize underage unions, deepening girls’ rights crisis. Housing Push in Balkh: Deputy PM Mullah Baradar launched the $150m Lajward Residential Complex in Mazar-i-Sharif, promising apartments and services while unemployment and poverty remain high. Returnee Aid Plan: The UN unveiled a $529m response for about 2.7m Afghans expected to return from Iran and Pakistan in 2026, warning women and children face major shelter and services gaps.

Humanitarian Emergency: The UN has launched a $529 million plan to support about 2.7 million Afghan returnees expected back from Iran and Pakistan in 2026, warning that many are women and children returning without shelter or basic services. Child Protection Crisis: A BBC report spotlights Ghor Province families driven by poverty and hunger to sell children—describing newborn deaths linked to maternal malnutrition and parents saying survival leaves them no choice. Health System Strain: The same coverage ties the breakdown to lack of access to care, with families citing medical bills as the trigger for desperate decisions. Policy Push (Pharma): In Kabul, the Islamic Emirate opened the second Abu Ali Sina Balkhi exhibition, with leaders urging standardization and expansion of domestic pharmaceutical production to reduce reliance on imports. Regional Security (Context): Pakistan’s PM ordered a Balochistan “security corridor” to protect mineral areas—an effort that could affect health and aid access in conflict-affected zones.

Afghan Hunger Crisis: A BBC report from Ghor says poverty has become so extreme that fathers are being pushed to sell children for food, with newborns dying after birth linked to mothers’ malnutrition. Returnee Pressure: The UN launched a $529m plan to support about 2.7m Afghans expected to return from Iran and Pakistan, warning returns are straining already fragile services. Health Under Strain: MSF in Kandahar reports rising TB among malnourished children, blaming delayed care, weak vaccination, and failures to breastfeed. Local Health Supply Push: Taliban officials opened the Abu Ali Sina Balkhi pharma exhibition in Kabul, saying domestic production now covers 38% of medicine demand (up from 25% eight months ago) and urging against hoarding and price spikes. Governance Friction: Citizens complain Taliban business-licensing processes are slow, costly, and reject Republic-era documents, forcing people to redo paperwork.

Polio push under pressure: Afghanistan’s Taliban health ministry has started a second 2026 polio drive, vaccinating about 8.3 million children under five across 20 provinces over four days, with a follow-up push in southern areas where risk is highest—while Pakistan simultaneously launched its own nationwide campaign, but gunmen killed police protecting vaccinators in Bajaur, underscoring how insecurity and vaccine misinformation keep slowing eradication. Women’s health squeeze: A new Afghanistan Analysts Network report says women’s healthcare is worsening as clinics close, female health workers are scarce, girls’ education is restricted, and foreign aid has fallen—leaving many families unable to even afford transport to care. Humanitarian funding: Denmark pledged $5.49m to the UN’s Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund to support frontline relief as nearly half the population still needs help.

Polio Security Crisis: Gunmen in Pakistan’s Bajaur killed two police officers escorting polio vaccination teams on the first day of a nationwide drive, as militants keep targeting health workers over vaccine misinformation. Afghanistan Immunization Push: Afghanistan launched its second 2026 polio campaign, aiming to vaccinate about 8.3 million children under five across 20 provinces, with a separate push in southern areas—despite ongoing access challenges and confirmed cases in 2026. Humanitarian Funding: Denmark pledged $5.49 million to the UN’s Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund to support frontline aid as needs remain extreme and aid drops bite. Women’s Rights Under Taliban: A new Taliban family regulation sparked outrage over rules that critics say can treat a “virgin girl’s” silence as consent to marriage. Public Health Focus: WHO marked World Hypertension Day, warning high blood pressure is a “silent killer” and urging regular checks and sustained treatment.

Polio Push: Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health has kicked off the second phase of the 2026 polio vaccination campaign, targeting 8.3 million children across 20 provinces from May 18–21, with Kandahar, Helmand, Uruzgan and Zabul running May 19–22—officials are urging religious scholars and parents to back vaccinators. Ebola Alert: WHO has declared the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo a public health emergency of international concern, warning it could grow and spread regionally as cases rise in Ituri and Uganda reports confirmed infections. Hajj Health Guidance: WHO also urged pilgrims to follow health advisories and keep valid vaccine certificates ahead of Hajj 2026, as outbreaks like Ebola and Hantavirus raise concern. Care Access Stress: Kabul residents complain that some doctors’ prescriptions are written so illegibly that only certain pharmacies can fill them, pushing patients toward inflated prices. Road Safety: Two separate traffic crashes in Maidan Wardak and Balkh left seven dead and three injured, with authorities citing negligence and unsafe conditions.

Humanitarian Funding Crunch: The World Food Programme says Afghanistan needs $350 million over the next six months to keep food and nutrition support running, warning that severe shortfalls are turning hunger and acute malnutrition into a fast-worsening crisis for millions of mothers and children. Women’s Rights Under Pressure: Reports from Kabul describe women and girls being targeted by the Taliban’s morality police, including allegations of beatings and detention even when seeking basic medicines—another sign of how restrictions are deepening daily health and safety risks. Public Health at Risk in Cities: Kabul residents complain of a worsening public transport shortage and traffic gridlock that leaves commuters—especially women—waiting for hours and facing crowd-related exploitation. Polio Response: Balochistan has kicked off a seven-day polio vaccination drive after poliovirus was detected in environmental samples, aiming to reach 1.99 million children under five. Cross-border Tensions: The U.S. is again pressing the Taliban over the missing American author Paul Overby, calling it “hostage diplomacy” and offering rewards for information.

Humanitarian Funding Crunch: The World Food Programme says it needs $350 million for Afghanistan over the next six months as malnutrition surges—reporting mothers and children turned away from clinics because nutritious supplements have run out. Women’s Rights Under Pressure: New reporting describes Afghanistan’s women’s rights crisis deepening into a humanitarian collapse, with Taliban restrictions and morality police harassment tightening daily life. Healthcare Complaints: Kabul parents say staff at Indira Gandhi Children’s Hospital are negligent and mistreating patients, echoing wider concerns about care quality. Public Health Risk in Transport: Kabul residents report a worsening public transport shortage and traffic gridlock that leaves people—especially women—waiting for hours. Polio Watch: Balochistan is set to start a 7-day polio drive targeting 1.99 million children after virus detection in environmental samples. Cross-border Strain: The UN says shrinking aid and mass returns are worsening hunger and basic needs across Afghanistan.

Women’s rights to humanitarian collapse: A new wave of reporting says Afghanistan’s women’s rights crisis is deepening into a humanitarian emergency, with restrictions on education, work, movement, healthcare and public life pushing families toward deeper poverty and dependence. Healthcare accountability: In Kabul, mothers at Indira Gandhi Children’s Hospital are raising fresh complaints about negligent care by nurses and some doctors, including allegations tied to injuries after injections—adding to wider worries about hospital treatment of mothers and newborns. Violence and insecurity: In Jawzjan, the Taliban says five family members—including a 7-year-old boy and four women—were killed in a home attack, while separate reports describe a woman and three daughters killed in Jowzjan and other violent incidents across the country. Aid pressure: WFP warns Afghanistan is facing its worst recorded malnutrition surge, with shortages of specialized therapeutic food leaving mothers unable to get treatment for children. Cross-border health cooperation: Russia says Afghanistan has asked for Russian medical teachers to train Afghan students, signaling continued efforts to rebuild health capacity.

Humanitarian Alarm: The World Food Programme says Afghanistan is facing its worst malnutrition surge on record, with about five million women and children needing urgent treatment after clinics ran out of specialized therapeutic food in Jalalabad. Aid Pressure: The UN and WFP link the crisis to earthquakes, flooding, conflict spillovers, mass returns, and a sharp drop in international aid—leaving families with limited access to food, healthcare, and basic services. Cross-Border Strain: Pakistan’s crackdown is driving fast returns, with Taliban authorities reporting 19,317 Afghans deported or returned from Pakistan in just four days, mostly via Torkham. Violence at Home: In Jowzjan, unidentified gunmen killed a woman and her three daughters and seriously wounded three sons, as residents report a rise in targeted killings. Health Sector Spotlight: Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health says a major Abu Ali Sina Balkhi pharmaceutical exhibition will open in Kabul on May 19, highlighting domestic production and health products.

Humanitarian Alarm: WFP warns Afghanistan is facing its worst recorded malnutrition surge, with about five million women and children needing urgent treatment after shortages of specialized therapeutic food left mothers “empty-handed” in Jalalabad. Aid Access Pressure: The Red Cross says 221,000 people in eastern Afghanistan still need help six months after the Kunar quake, with many living in tents and struggling to reach safe water, sanitation, and healthcare. Cross-Border Returns: Pakistan’s crackdown has driven more than 19,000 Afghans back in four days, mostly via Torkham, raising health and protection risks for families already under strain. Policy Harm: The Taliban has issued new child-marriage rules, including guidance tied to “virgin girls” and annulment only after puberty—another blow to girls’ health and rights. Healthcare Supply & Cooperation: Afghanistan’s MoPH says a major Abu Ali Sina Balkhi pharma exhibition will open in Kabul, while Uzbekistan and Afghanistan expand medical cooperation. Security Spillover: Militant violence continues in the region, including a Bajaur camp attack in Pakistan that killed nine terrorists and left four security personnel dead.

Humanitarian Funding Pressure: CARE Nederland warns that cuts to aid hit women and girls first—threatening clinics and girls’ education in places including Afghanistan, where a clinic treating severe malnutrition and a women-led reading project are at risk of stalling. UN Aid Boost: The UN says a fresh $1.8 billion U.S. humanitarian package will expand emergency operations as needs rise and donor budgets shrink. Afghanistan Crisis Deepens: UN reporting highlights near-record poverty and malnutrition pressures, with WFP describing mothers and children being turned away from clinics for lack of nutritious supplements, while UNDP links worsening hardship to drought, mass returns, and shrinking aid. Security Spillover: Fresh militant violence in Pakistan’s northwest—bomb attacks on police and a crowded market—adds to border instability that Afghanistan’s health and aid response can’t absorb. Local Health Cooperation: Uzbekistan’s ambassador visited Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital to discuss telemedicine, training, and referrals, signaling continued regional support for specialized care. Violence at Home: Three women were found dead in Kabul and Kandahar amid a reported rise in violent crime.

Malnutrition Alarm: The UN says nearly 28 million people in Afghanistan can’t meet basic needs, with malnutrition surging as drought, mass returns from Pakistan and Iran, and shrinking aid overwhelm clinics—WFP officials report mothers and children being turned away for lack of life-saving supplements. Aid Cuts Fallout: A separate rights-focused report warns that abrupt US foreign aid cuts have empowered autocrats by freezing investigations and collapsing support for defenders, leaving humanitarian and rights work more fragile. War Remnants Still Kill: In eastern Nangarhar, an unexploded device killed a child and injured another while grazing livestock, highlighting how explosive leftovers keep maiming civilians. Water Stress: UN reporting shows drought impacts deepened sharply in 2025, with more water points drying up and less safe drinking water available. Cross-Border Health Strain: UN-linked reporting ties Afghanistan’s worsening crisis to conflict-driven price spikes and transport disruptions, including the near-closure of the Pakistan border. Regional Health Links: Uzbekistan and Afghanistan are expanding pharmaceutical cooperation, aiming to speed drug registration and improve medicine import/export.

Hospital Access & Costs: Kabul pharmacies are reportedly selling medicines at up to 2.5x normal prices, with claims of doctor–pharmacy partnerships and weak oversight pushing families to skip treatment. Women’s Health Support: UNFPA says remote women benefit when clinics pair primary care with psychological counseling—helping with anxiety and high-risk pregnancies. Primary Care Expansion: IOM-funded health centers have opened in Helmand’s Baghni and Baghran districts, aiming to improve access to basic services. Crisis Pressure: UNDP warns poverty is deepening—about 28 million people can’t meet basic needs—while returns, drought, and shrinking aid strain already overstretched systems. Human Rights & Care: UNAMA reports Taliban restrictions on women’s work and services continue, alongside detention and corporal punishment, worsening health access and safety. Community Spotlight: In a rare bright note, Afghan cricket stars Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi visited ailing former teammate Shapoor Zadran in hospital in India, sharing prayers for his recovery.