New york: Senior UN official Georgette Gagnon and Afghan women's rights advocate Nargis Nehan urged greater international engagement and action Wednesday on Afghanistan's worsening human rights and humanitarian situation.

According to Anadolu Agency, Gagnon, deputy special representative for the UN chief and officer-in-charge of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), told the UN Security Council that Taliban authorities maintained nationwide control and achieved a degree of economic and security stability since returning to power five years ago. While these developments show some progress, she emphasized that they coincide with severe restrictions on women and girls, exclusionary governance, a human rights crisis, and the continued presence of terrorist groups.

Gagnon noted that while Afghanistan faces no significant armed or political threats to Taliban control, accumulating risks to stability exist, especially as communities experience exclusion from decision-making, resources, and economic opportunities. She stressed that peace is not merely the absence of armed conflict but requires dignity, inclusion, opportunity, and hope. The humanitarian situation remains dire, with the 2026 humanitarian response plan only 30% funded. Nearly 1.2 million Afghans returned from Pakistan and Iran this year, raising total returns since 2023 to 6.5 million.

She called on the Taliban to lift restrictions on women and girls, pursue inclusive governance, and meet counterterrorism commitments, advocating for 'principled and pragmatic engagement' as essential.

Nehan highlighted the grim state of women's rights in Afghanistan, marking five years since the Taliban seized control. She shared Afghan women's sentiments, with one stating, 'Being a woman is a crime, and being born as a woman in Afghanistan is an even greater crime.' Nehan urged the international community to fully fund the $1.7 billion humanitarian response plan and support Afghan women's participation in determining the country's political future. She questioned whether the global community is prepared to act on its awareness of the situation in Afghanistan.