Afghanistan in March 2026: the most important developments in society
Afghanistan in March 2026 faced a worsening humanitarian situation as war broke out in the Middle East, according to UN warnings on 9 March. The UN prepared for a likely surge of Afghan returnees, and UN Women vowed on 17 March to stay in Afghanistan. On 30 March floods and landslides killed dozens of people in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan displaced some 100,000 people by 6 March. Pakistan and Afghanistan declared a truce, and on 24 March clerics from both countries appealed for the pause in fighting to be extended until Eid al-Adha. Earlier in the month, authorities in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province halted a crackdown on illegal Afghan migrants. Afghan evacuees in a camp in Qatar accused the United States of betrayal.
The rights of women remained a focus. Reports said that women without a male companion were forced to give birth outside hospitals, and a penal code was said to institutionalise domestic violence. A tally published on 22 March counted more than 1,100 floggings and six public executions carried out by the Taliban over the past year. Britain barred study visas for four countries, including Afghanistan, and halted Afghan work visas.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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