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Afghanistan Analysts Network

@aanafgh.bsky.social

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Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN): independent Kabul-based policy research organisation. You can find our reports on our website https://t.co/XIL2n9vX8f - reposts does not imply endorsement

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Afghanistan Analysts Network @aanafgh.bsky.social · 7d

After the poppy ban in #Afghanistan, Muhammad lost his livelihood and the drought destroyed his new crops. Desperation drove him to seek work across the border in #Iran, and tragedy followed. Read his story of in the latest installment of the Daily Hustle. #Migration bit.ly/4795gtT

The Daily Hustle: Muhammad’s last journey – a story of survival, debt and loss

The Islamic Emirate’s ban on poppy cultivation has reshaped life in many areas across Afghanistan, especially in Helmand province, where poppy was fundamental to the economy and to many farmers’ livel...

Afghanistan Analysts Network @aanafgh.bsky.social · 13d

Cuts to aid, medicine scarcity, transport challenges, and bans on female education are converging into a public health disaster for mothers in #Afghanistan. #HumanitarianCrisis #MaternalDeath bit.ly/3WbcxmD

Is maternal mortality on the rise in Afghanistan? No official data, but much cause for concern

Afghanistan’s maternal mortality rate was already among the ten highest in the world, but it has come under further pressure. The United States’ decision to entirely cut aid to Afghanistan earlier thi...

Afghanistan Analysts Network @aanafgh.bsky.social · 24d

#Afghanistan isn’t water-poor – its #water resources are poorly managed, says @assemmayar1. But are there ways to reverse the tide? Read our latest report. #ClimateChange bit.ly/4gu5jDL

Afghanistan's Urban Water Dilemma: Why are Afghan cities running out of water?

Water scarcity, once thought to be a problem only for Afghanistan’s driest provinces like Farah and Nimruz, is now gripping Afghan cities. Predictions that Kabul’s groundwater will be exhausted by 203...

Afghanistan Analysts Network @aanafgh.bsky.social · Sep 11

Despite all the hardship - hunger, debt, illness - she hopes education will pave a better path for her children. Her resilience is both heartbreaking and inspiring. #Afghanistan bit.ly/4ph7PBm

The Daily Hustle: How one mother cares for her family through sickness, hunger and debt

In Afghanistan, years of conflict, economic collapse, and rising poverty have left hundreds of thousands of families struggling to survive. For those already on the brink, a single illness can be life...

Afghanistan Analysts Network @aanafgh.bsky.social · Sep 7

AAN's Rama Mirzada hears from a mother about her family’s struggle to afford basics—rent, food, medicine—especially after her husband fell ill. Now, even their home is under threat of demolition. But she still holds out hope for a better future for her children. #Afghanistan bit.ly/4ph7PBm

The Daily Hustle: How one mother cares for her family through sickness, hunger and debt

In Afghanistan, years of conflict, economic collapse, and rising poverty have left hundreds of thousands of families struggling to survive. For those already on the brink, a single illness can be life...

Afghanistan Analysts Network @aanafgh.bsky.social · Aug 31

Mining is an industry of contrasts. For elites, it presents the potential for increasing their wealth and power, while for miners, the work is harsh and dangerous, often being the only alternative to subsistence farming. #Environment bit.ly/47ToWmk

The Mining Sector in Afghanistan: A picture in black and gold

The mining sector has become one of the foremost drivers of Afghanistan’s beleaguered national economy in recent years. It offers the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) revenue from taxes, royalties...

Afghanistan Analysts Network @aanafgh.bsky.social · Aug 21

A year after the Taliban's new morality law came into force, fear looms in #Afghanistan as vice and virtue enforcers grapple with policing moral behavior. @kateclark66 hears from ordinary Afghans about how this law has affected their lives. bit.ly/4mBcj3V #WomensRights #HumanRights

A year of Propagating Virtue and Preventing Vice: Enforcers and 'enforced' speak about the Emirate's morality law

It is a year since the Islamic Emirate issued a new law to propagate virtue and prevent vice. The goal, of changing Afghans’ dress and behaviour, has been an abiding mission of the Taliban’s since the...

Afghanistan Analysts Network @aanafgh.bsky.social · Aug 14

In the lead up to the 4 anniversary of the fall of the Republic and the Taliban takeover of #Afghanistan, we're re-posting some of our reporting from that momentous period in August 2021. www.afghanistan-analysts.org/en/reports/w...

The Domino Effect in Paktia and the Fall of Zurmat: A case study of the Taleban surrounding Afghan cities

After a siege of almost two months, the centre of the strategic district of Zurmat in Paktia province fell into the hands of the Taleban on 2 July 2021. This followed the successive collapse of 11 of ...

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Afghanistan Analysts Network @aanafgh.bsky.social · Aug 11

As we approach the 4 year anniversary of the fall of Kabul. AAN will be revisiting from that time. This report from 9 August 2021, looks at the province that fell first, Nimruz, a remote yet highly strategic province. aan.af/3rZ3JR6

The Fall of Nimruz: A symbolic or economic game-changer?

With the fall of five provincial capitals in three days – Zaranj in Nimruz, Sheberghan in Jowzjan, Sarepul, Kunduz and Taloqan in Takhar –, the Taleban switched pace. After an unexpected and highly su...

Afghanistan Analysts Network @aanafgh.bsky.social · Aug 10

This month, the Daily Hustle hears from Nangialai, a 40-year-old tailor who first learned his trade in Pakistan & later set up shop in Kabul with the tools he had saved up to buy. bit.ly/4mEqh4P #Afghanistan

The Daily Hustle: Building a business in Kabul one stitch at a time

In Kabul’s Timur Shahi area, tailoring is serious business. Rows of shopfronts compete for customers. One marvels at how so many tailors, offering basically the same service, stay in business in such ...

Afghanistan Analysts Network @aanafgh.bsky.social · Aug 4

Blood feuds have long been a defining feature of society among Pashtun tribes. Now they’re in decline. AAN’s Sharif Akram explores the role they have played in Khost province and how things are changing. #Afghanistan bit.ly/3GXCbYm

Breaking the Cycle of Centuries-old Violence: A decline in blood feuds in Khost province?

Blood feuds or revenge killings are closely connected to honour and shame, as seen through tribal customs and centuries-old traditions in Afghan society. For many decades, these feuds perpetuated cycl...

Reposted by Afghanistan Analysts Network

Kjell-Gunnar Eriksen @kgekjell.bsky.social · Jul 28

Afghanistan is more or less forgotten by international media. If you want to stay informed, Afghan Analyst Network continues to be a very useful source to what is going on inside the country. @aanafgh.bsky.social

Afghanistan Analysts Network @aanafgh.bsky.social · Jul 28

Even with a better-than-expected harvest, more than 20% of Afghans face crisis levels of food insecurity. The drought is only part of the problem. Read AAN’s latest report for @KateClark66’s deep dive into this complex issue.
#FoodSecurity #Afghanistan #Drought #ClimateChange bit.ly/4mf8CAg

Another Drought Year for Afghanistan... But prospects are not as bad as they could be

Afghanistan is bracing itself for its fourth drought in five years. For many farmers and herders, the drought is catastrophic: spring rains failed and with them, rainfed wheat and pasture in the range...

Afghanistan Analysts Network @aanafgh.bsky.social · Jul 28

Even with a better-than-expected harvest, more than 20% of Afghans face crisis levels of food insecurity. The drought is only part of the problem. Read AAN’s latest report for @KateClark66’s deep dive into this complex issue.
#FoodSecurity #Afghanistan #Drought #ClimateChange bit.ly/4mf8CAg

Another Drought Year for Afghanistan... But prospects are not as bad as they could be

Afghanistan is bracing itself for its fourth drought in five years. For many farmers and herders, the drought is catastrophic: spring rains failed and with them, rainfed wheat and pasture in the range...

Afghanistan Analysts Network @aanafgh.bsky.social · Jul 23

For over 40 years, writings on #Afghanistan’s clerics have focused on their role in diffusing militancy. AAN’s new report looks instead at how rural mullahs are becoming better educated in Islamic matters, wealthier, and more influential in both the community and the state. bit.ly/44W1XEi

Living a Mullah’s Life (2): The evolution of Islamic knowledge among village clerics

Over the past four decades much has been written about Afghan mullahs and madrasas. Most commentary has focused on the role they have played in the diffusion of militancy and jihadism in Afghanistan. ...

Afghanistan Analysts Network @aanafgh.bsky.social · Jul 21

Rural mullahs in SE #Afghanistan are no longer just local preachers – with better access to Islamic education & the Emirate’s backing, they’re taking on more prominent roles in their communities and in the state. bit.ly/44W1XEi

Living a Mullah’s Life (2): The evolution of Islamic knowledge among village clerics

Over the past four decades much has been written about Afghan mullahs and madrasas. Most commentary has focused on the role they have played in the diffusion of militancy and jihadism in Afghanistan. ...

Afghanistan Analysts Network @aanafgh.bsky.social · Jul 9

They told me to come back next week. I’ve been coming back for months: AAN’s @rsurush examines how Afghans are stuck in a seemingly endless cycle of #RedTape just to get essential identity documents. #Afghanistan bit.ly/409c8no

Months, Years and Thousands of Afghanis Later… Stories of Afghans battling bureaucracy

Trying to get important documents from the state can be a maddening and expensive ordeal in Afghanistan. Many complain about the time-consuming and frustrating process of applying for a tazkira (ID ca...

Reposted by Afghanistan Analysts Network

Rachel Reid @rachelreid.bsky.social · Jul 8

The International Criminal Court just issued warrants for 2 top Taliban leaders for persecution of women & girls. The warrant is sealed, but I wrote about the details of the prosecutor's requests for @aanafgh.bsky.social in January. www.afghanistan-analysts.org/en/reports/r...

Reigniting the Flames of Justice: ICC seeks arrest of the Islamic Emirate's Supreme Leader and Chief Justice

The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, has requested arrest warrants for two of the most senior leaders of the Islamic Emirate. Khan said that there were “reasonable grounds” ...

www.afghanistan-analysts.org

Afghanistan Analysts Network @aanafgh.bsky.social · Jul 8

Getting an ID, passport, or marriage cert in #Afghanistan means endless queues, paperwork, travel and lost income. Bureaucracy isn’t just slow, it’s expensive in time, money, and dignity. Rohullah Sorush looks into what it takes to get these documents. bit.ly/409c8no

Months, Years and Thousands of Afghanis Later… Stories of Afghans battling bureaucracy

Trying to get important documents from the state can be a maddening and expensive ordeal in Afghanistan. Many complain about the time-consuming and frustrating process of applying for a tazkira (ID ca...

Afghanistan Analysts Network @aanafgh.bsky.social · Jun 27

As the opium ban in #Afghanistan enters its 4th year, only Badakhshan farmers have been able to defy it, because of its remoteness, rugged terrain and unique politics farmers from control. #Afghanistan bit.ly/4ldJSIm

The Fourth Year of the Opium Ban: An update from two of Afghanistan’s major poppy-growing areas

The Islamic Emirate’s ban on opium cultivation has entered its fourth year and apart from the first harvest of opium poppies in spring 2022, when farmers were allowed to harvest their standing crop, t...

Afghanistan Analysts Network @aanafgh.bsky.social · Jun 25

Abdul Halim didn’t want to leave #Pakistan, but the police arrested his underage sons. It broke his heart to leave without them, but feared that he and his female family members would be deported in a humiliating manner. #Afghanistan bit.ly/4k1Osse

The Second Phase of Forced Returns from Pakistan: Afghans tell stories of hardship and misery

The Pakistani government officially began implementing the second phase of its Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan on 1 April 2025 by targeting undocumented Afghans and those holding Afghan Citizen ...

Afghanistan Analysts Network @aanafgh.bsky.social · Jun 22

Since 2023, more than 2.4 million Afghans have returned from #Pakistan and Iran to #Afghanistan; some were deported. In their impoverished and internationally isolated homeland, most returnees face a bleak prospect with few job opportunities. bit.ly/4k1Osse

The Second Phase of Forced Returns from Pakistan: Afghans tell stories of hardship and misery

The Pakistani government officially began implementing the second phase of its Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan on 1 April 2025 by targeting undocumented Afghans and those holding Afghan Citizen ...

Afghanistan Analysts Network @aanafgh.bsky.social · Jun 17

The origin story of #Afghanistan's #HumanRights movement: Back then there was no email, no WhatsApp, a few of us would take an envelope to the UN & push it under
the door. We didn’t know if it went anywhere. We didn’t know if anyone was
reading it. bit.ly/4kRiSOX

Manoeuvring Through the Cracks: The Afghan human rights movement under the Islamic Emirate

The end of the Islamic Republic was a catastrophe for Afghanistan’s human rights movement, with nearly all human rights defenders thrown into exile, fearing for their lives. The Islamic Emirate of Afg...

Afghanistan Analysts Network @aanafgh.bsky.social · Jun 15

Despite IEA’s severe restrictions, Afghan human rights defenders persist.Many work from exile and a new wave of women's rights activists has emerged in #Afghanistan. @rachelreid.bsky.social has been speaking to human rights defenders about adaptation and survival in the new era. bit.ly/4kRiSOX

Manoeuvring Through the Cracks: The Afghan human rights movement under the Islamic Emirate

The end of the Islamic Republic was a catastrophe for Afghanistan’s human rights movement, with nearly all human rights defenders thrown into exile, fearing for their lives. The Islamic Emirate of Afg...

Afghanistan Analysts Network @aanafgh.bsky.social · Jun 13

My father was a mullah and chose the simple life. But nowadays, the pursuit of a better life & desire to accumulate wealth are shaping people’s thinking. Mullahs, like everyone else, have become more worldly. They seek wealth & work for it. #Afghanistan bit.ly/3SJYQcY

Living a Mullah’s Life (1): The changing role and socio-economic status of Afghanistan’s village clerics

In Afghanistan, where Islam has been the predominant religion for many centuries, local religious leaders, known as mullahs, are an influential group with significant say in almost every issue. While ...

Afghanistan Analysts Network @aanafgh.bsky.social · Jun 10

In rural #Afghanistan, mullahs (local religious leaders) have long been mainstays of local life. As AAN's Sharif Akram explores, how their status has evolved over the past 40 years—are they thriving or just surviving? bit.ly/3SJYQcYf

Living a Mullah’s Life (1): The changing role and socio-economic status of Afghanistan’s village clerics

In Afghanistan, where Islam has been the predominant religion for many centuries, local religious leaders, known as mullahs, are an influential group with significant say in almost every issue. While ...