News

The back of a woman with pink shawl in front of houses and mountains.

“Our daughters are like birds without wings”

News September 17 marks five years since the Taliban regime closed schools to girls from the seventh grade. Since then, 2.6 million girls have been shut out from education beyond primary school. Fifteen Afghans share their perspectives on what the ban means – for them and for the country.

City view of Kabul woth mountains and a clear blie skye in the background.

Sweden needs a new Afghanistan policy

News Sweden’s policy of disengagement has not improved the situation in Afghanistan, but it has limited Sweden’s ability to influence developments.

A midwife checks the blood pressure of a patient covered in a shawl. A small child looks into the camera.

Healthcare reaches a critical point as funding declines

Development Afghanistan’s healthcare system is facing enormous challenges due to drastic cuts in international donor funding. Last year, the Taliban authorities published their first national health policy.

A woman with a purple shawl and a woman covered in a black shawl are caring for a baby wrapped in a red blanket.

A midwife free to manage the entire continuum of care

Development In a small building next to her home in Wardak province, the midwife Karima receives women from the surrounding villages.

Man walking over green field

Five years on: Sustaining international engagement with Afghanistan

News Ahead of the five year anniversary of the Taliban takeover, the European Network of NGOs in Afghanistan (ENNA), which Solidarity Committee is part of, published a statement directed towards the EU and its member states.

women in green dress

The double standard on dialogue with the Taliban is a betrayal

News It is striking that Sweden is now championing dialogue with the very same Taliban it has long claimed it could not engage with over the plight of Afghan women, writes Kajsa Johansson in Global Bar.

Street scene from Kabul with three young men talking to each other at a simple street cafe.

New programme strengthens young people’s future opportunities

Development A new programme will give young Afghans better opportunities to earn a living and shape their future, for example through vocational training and entrepreneurship.

Schoolboys on a road in the Afghan countryside, with buildings close and mountains in the background.

Principled pragmatism is required –for the sake of the Afghan people

Analysis The international community needs to distinguish between different ways of engaging with Afghanistan. Failing to engage has disproportionately severe consequences for the population, writes Mark Bowden.

Porträttbild av kvinna med blå sjal om axlarna, stående med afghanska berg i bakgrunden.

Several truths can be accurate at the same time

News Afghanistan is a challenging puzzle to put together – but in order to contribute to change, we need to try to understand the country's logic, writes Kajsa Johansson.

Afghanistan’s Maternal and Child Health at Breaking Point