Statement by the Tánaiste on the third anniversary since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan

This month marks three years since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan. In that time we have seen shocking abuses of civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights committed by the Taliban.

Under the Taliban’s control, we have witnessed extrajudicial killings, public executions, enforced disappearances, torture, arbitrary arrests and detentions become everyday threats for the people of Afghanistan.

Women and girls are especially suffering; forced to a life behind closed doors, losing their basic rights to education, employment, freedom of movement and access to services. I am appalled by this large-scale systematic exclusion and deprivation of women and girls’ human rights that may amount to crimes against humanity, including gender persecution. Ireland condemns it in the strongest terms.

Others are also suffering under the Taliban’s rule. Minorities, including ethnic and religious minorities such as the Hazara people, and other vulnerable groups including LGBTQI+ persons have been facing horrendous human rights abuses under the current regime.

Alongside the desperate human rights situation is an ongoing humanitarian crisis which remains one of the worst in the world. This year alone 23.7 million people in Afghanistan will require humanitarian assistance.

On this anniversary, I want to reaffirm Ireland’s commitment and support to the people of Afghanistan.

Once again, I condemn the gross human rights abuses carried out by the Taliban and call for the full reversal of the Taliban’s discriminatory and draconian decrees. Ireland supports the women of Afghanistan. Sustainable peace and a flourishing society are only possible when women are included, and human rights are upheld. This will be our ongoing message.

Ireland will continue to work with our trusted partners on the ground in Afghanistan and within the region to alleviate suffering and provide desperately needed humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people.

We will also continue to provide refuge to those fleeing this desperate situation with a pledge to resettle 50 Afghan refugees in Ireland for both 2024 and 2025 through the Irish Refugee Protection Programme.

Today’s tragic anniversary provides us an opportunity to spotlight the ongoing suffering and abuse being experienced by the Afghan people. The UN has made clear that Afghanistan is in breach of its obligations as a party to multiple human rights conventions. Those responsible for such gross and widespread abuses must be held accountable for their actions.

Note to editors:

• The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan on 15 August 2021 following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.

• To date, the Taliban have enacted over 70 decrees and directives to restrict women’s basic rights and fundamental freedoms. Edicts include the removal of their right to education beyond the sixth grade including universities; bans on working for NGO’s and UN bodies and agencies; restrictions on their freedom of movement; bans from accessing public baths, parks, and gyms; public floggings and stoning of women found of committing adultery; and vastly reduced monthly salaries for female civil servants below the level of basic sustenance. The Taliban’s restrictions have led to the total exclusion of women from decision-making processes and from most economic activity in Afghanistan.

• Through our work in the UN, EU and other fora, Ireland will continue to platform and give voice to the women of Afghanistan and advocate for their inclusion in decision making processes and global conversations relating to the rights of women and girls and the future of their country.

• Ireland consistently raises its voice in international fora, including the UN General Assembly and the Human Rights Council, to highlight the human rights situation and admonish the oppression of and discrimination against women and girls in Afghanistan. During Ireland’s 2021-2022 term on the UN Security Council, Ireland prioritised mainstreaming of the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Agenda. In line with this, Ireland blocked the possibility for exemptions to be granted to certain Taliban leaders to travel freely: if Afghan women could not travel, neither should the Taliban. We also consulted with Afghan women leaders and drew on their insights in the Security Council's consideration of the Afghanistan file. [Previous statements by Ireland on Afghanistan can be found here: gov - Ireland’s Statements at the Human Rights Council gov - Ireland’s Statements at the Human Rights Council (www.gov.ie); gov - Ireland’s Statements at the Human Rights Council (www.gov.ie); gov - Ireland's Statements Third Committee, UNGA 78 (www.gov.ie).

• Since 2021, Ireland has provided €17 million in humanitarian assistance funding to the Afghanistan crisis. In 2024 Ireland has given €3 million in funding to the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund administered by UN OCHA and €1 million in funding to the UNHCR Regional Refugee Response Plan. Ireland is also a donor to the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), providing €14 million to the fund in 2024. Since the beginning of 2021 the CERF has allocated more than $155 million to Afghanistan. Ireland has also contributed to the more than €1billion in assistance pledged for Afghanistan by the EU.

• The resettlement of Afghan refugees in Ireland is managed through the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP). As of this month, 645 refugees from Afghanistan have arrived to safety in Ireland since August 2021, under the programme. Ireland has pledged to admit 50 Humanitarian admissions in both 2024 and 2025. They will be selected using objective criteria including selection of women who have exposed themselves to particular risk through their commitment to women’s/human rights or their work in the spheres of justice, politics, the media, education, culture, sport or academia and are thus vulnerable.

• Applications under the Afghan programme are currently focused on those potential beneficiaries who have support including accommodation and integration already available within the community. Community Sponsorship will be used as a means of admitting proposed beneficiaries in instances where the Community Sponsorship Group has housing sourced, integration supports in place and a Community Sponsorship group has been established under the normal terms and conditions of a Community Sponsorship Group and has engaged directly with a Regional Support Organisation in Ireland.