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Taliban ‘prevents’ 3.5 million children from getting polio vaccine
More than 3.5 million children have been deprived of anti-polio vaccinations due to restrictions imposed by the Taliban in several provinces, the Ministry of Public Health claimed Saturday.
The Ministry stated that the Taliban’s restrictions on the house-to-house vaccination campaign has increased from three to ten percent of homes in the last three years.
Mirjan Rasikh, head of the Polio Eradication Program said: “Although the Taliban promised to cooperate in implementing the vaccine, they have prevented it more so than in the past.”
“Children in Paktia and Maidan Wardak have missed the immunity doses against the polio virus due to the Taliban’s restrictions,” Rasikh said.
The vaccination campaign began last week.
The Taliban not only failed to cooperate with the process but also prevented thousands of children from getting the vaccine in Maidan Wardak, Ghazni, Helmand, Kandahar, Kunduz, Takhar, Paktika, and Paktia provinces, the Public Health Ministry said.
A number of civil society activists in eastern provinces have meanwhile called on the Taliban to allow the vaccination campaign to be implemented in areas under their control.
“The Taliban prevented the campaign in areas under their control. We asked them to allow the children to get the vaccine,” Sayeed Jamal Asifkhel, a Paktia civil society activist stated.
Meanwhile, children in Bamiyan, Daikundi, and Ghor provinces also missed out on the vaccine program as healthcare workers were prevented from rolling out the vaccines due to poor weather conditions.
In November last year, the Taliban announced that the group would cooperate in implementing the vaccination campaign, but later the group’s spokesman told Ariana News that the campaign was stopped due to what he put down to “abuses” during the vaccination process.
Mohammad Younus Akhundzada, the Islamic Emirate’s Minister of Energy and Water, departed for Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, on Saturday to attend the 17th World Energy Forum.
Ministerial-level representatives from around 100 countries are expected to participate in the forum to discuss energy cooperation, opportunities, and the exchange of experiences.
The Ministry of Water and Energy said Afghanistan’s participation in the forum provides an opportunity to strengthen relations with countries around the world, exchange expertise, and attract international cooperation in the energy sector.
The US Department of State has placed Afghanistan in Tier 3 in its 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report, citing concerns over forced labor, child exploitation and inadequate protection for trafficking victims.
The report says Afghanistan has failed to fully meet the minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking and has not made significant efforts to do so.
It also highlights the vulnerability of families, particularly children, to trafficking and exploitation amid poverty, economic hardship and the return of migrants from neighboring countries.
Afghanistan continues to face economic challenges and growing humanitarian needs, while large numbers of Afghan migrants have returned from neighboring countries. Experts say raising public awareness, creating job opportunities and providing support to vulnerable families are essential to preventing human trafficking and child exploitation.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Emirate has previously issued a decree declaring human trafficking contrary to Islamic Sharia and called for action against the practice. Officials have also said the rights of Afghans are protected in accordance with Islamic Sharia and Afghan traditions.
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Iranian lawmaker praises Afghanistan’s support, accuses Pakistan of ‘hypocrisy’
Zanganeh claimed that a post published under the name of Pakistan’s parliamentary speaker during negotiations between Tehran and Washington had been written by Americans.
Mohsen Zanganeh, head of the Iranian Parliament’s Economic Commission, has praised Afghanistan’s support for Iran during the conflict between Iran and the United States, while criticizing Pakistan’s conduct during the crisis.
Zanganeh claimed that a post published under the name of Pakistan’s parliamentary speaker during negotiations between Tehran and Washington had been written by Americans. According to the Iranian lawmaker, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff was responsible for drafting the post.
He described Pakistan’s alleged conduct as “hypocrisy” and expressed appreciation for the friendship and support shown by Afghans towards Iran.
Zanganeh’s remarks highlight the differing political perspectives emerging in the region as neighbouring countries respond to developments involving Iran and the United States.
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