Geneva: Since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, the plight of Afghans has only deteriorated, with millions impoverished while authorities violate basic human rights daily. Today, the plight of many in Afghanistan is going from bad to worse, stressed the UN Human Rights Chief Volker Trk. According to United Nations, Mr. Trk emphasized that the world seems to have forgotten and abandoned the people of Afghanistan, who are facing a deepening crisis. Speaking to journalists in Geneva, he highlighted the ongoing oppression and the daily violations of basic human rights, describing the international community's silence as deafening. Mr. Trk deplored the ongoing restrictions severely affecting education, employment, freedom of movement, and access to public life. Both women and men are reportedly being arrested by the Taliban's Office for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice for alleged violations, including strict dress codes, beard length, and engaging with music. Human rights abuses against for mer adversaries of the Taliban and restrictions against religious minorities continue to be documented. Additionally, censorship of the media, temporary closures of media outlets, and arrests of journalists persist, with at least 449 individuals subjected to corporal punishment in the first half of the year, according to the UN. Women, in particular, are facing severe challenges under Taliban rule. Since 2021, over two million Afghan girls and women have been denied access to secondary and higher education. Recent decrees by the de facto authorities further complicate women's ability to separate from spouses and implicitly authorize child marriage and violence against women and children. Women are also excluded from politics, with Mr. Trk condemning their absence in public decision-making fora. Restrictions barring Afghan women from entering UN premises across the country persist, underscoring what Mr. Trk describes as gender apartheid. Additionally, Afghans who have fled to neighboring countries are encoun tering growing hostility and forced returns. According to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), more than 400,000 Afghans have been forcibly returned, mainly from Iran and Pakistan, but also from Trkiye, Tajikistan, and EU Member States. Many are compelled to enter a country they have never visited, facing deep poverty and lacking basic necessities such as food, clean water, healthcare, education, and employment. Mr. Trk highlighted the estimated 21.9 million people, or about 45 percent of the population, requiring humanitarian aid amidst dwindling foreign aid inflows. He implored all States to reconsider their actions and prioritize the lives of the suffering Afghan population.