On 30 October 2025, Pablo Camprub\u00ed, First Secretary, delivered a statement at the United Nations General Assembly Third Committee during the discussion on Human Rights in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n
Opening the session, Mr. Richard Bennett, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, noted that the humanitarian situation in the country continues to deteriorate, with few grounds for optimism. He underscored, however, the enduring courage and resilience of many Afghans, particularly women and girls, who continue to struggle for their rights despite mounting challenges.<\/p>\n
Mr. Bennett reported that his latest findings detail an intensified enforcement of gender persecution, alarming cases of enforced disappearances, and further restrictions on the media and civil society. He also highlighted the discrimination and marginalisation faced by ethnic, religious, and linguistic minorities, as well as the severe deterioration in access to education. Cuts to humanitarian aid, he added, have further exacerbated an already dire human rights situation.<\/p>\n
The Special Rapporteur stressed that addressing Afghanistan\u2019s multiple human rights crises and building a lasting peace will require the sustained and principled engagement of the international community, supported by coordinated and coherent leadership. He voiced particular concern over increased restrictions on women\u2019s access to employment and the widespread poverty and despair faced by much of the population.<\/p>\n
Mr. Bennett further warned that reduced funding for humanitarian and civil society programmes has stripped away the last vestiges of protection and support for an already vulnerable population. He urged all actors to commit to properly targeted, long-term, and sustained humanitarian assistance, particularly for Afghan and women-led organisations.<\/p>\n
Concluding his remarks, the Special Rapporteur emphasised that Afghanistan is not a lost cause, but rather a test for the international community. The path to peace and justice for the Afghan people, he said, remains long, and every tool at the international community\u2019s disposal must be used to help achieve it.<\/p>\n
In his statement, Mr Camprub\u00ed expressed the Order of Malta’s grave concern over the worsening human rights and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, warning that reductions in humanitarian funding risk deepening the crisis. He highlighted that a large proportion of the Afghan population remains in urgent need of assistance, with the closure of health and nutrition facilities causing widespread hunger, psychological distress, loss of education, and unemployment.<\/p>\n
He voiced the Order’s particular concern over the severe restrictions imposed on women and girls, especially regarding access to healthcare, education, and employment, emphasising the urgent need for maternal and neonatal care.<\/p>\n
Mr Camprub\u00ed outlined the Order\u2019s humanitarian activities through Malteser International, carried out in collaboration with local partners. In Herat, the Order supports the construction of safe housing and sanitary facilities, while in Mazar-i-Sharif and Nahre Shahi, it provides basic health services to malnourished children and pregnant women.<\/p>\n
Mr. Camprub\u00ed affirmed that the Afghan people deserve to live in dignity, security, and health, not merely to survive. He called on the international community to use all available tools to ensure humanitarian assistance leads to lasting relief, and reaffirmed the Order of Malta’s commitment to supporting the Afghan population in achieving fulfilling and dignified lives.<\/p>\n","news_gallery":"no","news_video":"