Afghanistan

Country Briefing

1. Brief overview
2. History
3. Ethnic and religious groups
4. Women
5. Humanitarian situation
6. Internally displaced persons and returnees from abroad
7. New takeover by the Taliban
8. Key actors

22 October 2025

ACCORD report

Photo: Marius Arnesen (CC BY-SA 2.0)

ACCORD published a report on Afghanistan on the impact of the Taliban's information practices and legal policies, particularly on women and girls, based on expert interviews.

3 March 2025

Maps

Quick access to relevant maps of Afghanistan, sorted by main topics (ethnic groups, topography, administrative divisions, etc.).

Positions

Selected guidance and position papers published by EUAA, UNHCR or ECRE.

Important documents

February 2021 | UNAMA – UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, OHCHR – UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (Author)
Afghanistan

Annual report on civilian casualties, attacks against and protection of civilians in 2020
Afghanistan; Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict; Annual Report 2020 (Periodical Report, English)
en ID 2046014
15 January 2021 | HRC – UN Human Rights Council (formerly UN Commission on Human Rights) (Author)
Afghanistan

Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the human rights situation in Afghanistan
Situation of human rights in Afghanistan, and technical assistance achievements in the field of human rights; Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights [A/HRC/46/69] (Special or Analytical Report, English)
en ID 2045196
September 2020 | BFA Staatendokumentation (Austrian Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum, COI unit), Rasuly-Paleczek, Gabriele (Author)
Afghanistan

Report on the socio-economic situation in Afghanistan (background; security situation; returnees; economy)
Themenbericht der Staatendokumentation zu Afghanistan: Die aktuelle sozioökonomische Lage in Afghanistan (Rasuly-Paleczek) (Special or Analytical Report, German)
de ID 2038971
July 2020 | BFA Staatendokumentation (Austrian Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum, COI unit) (Author)
Afghanistan

Report on the socio-economic and security situation in Balkh Province, based on Interviews during a fact-finding mission to Mazar-i Sharif in 2019
Analyse der Staatendokumentation zu Afghanistan: Informationen zu sozioökonomischen und sicherheitsrelevanten Faktoren in der Provinz Balkh auf Basis von Interviews im Rahmen der FFM Mazar-e Sharif 2019 (Special or Analytical Report, German)
de ID 2034797
7 July 2020 | CSIS – Center for Strategic and International Studies (Author)
Afghanistan

Report on the security situation and peace process
Afghanistan: The Prospects for a Real Peace (Special or Analytical Report, English)
en ID 2033006
July 2020 | KAS – Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (Author)
Afghanistan

Brief report on political, economic, social and humanitarian situation in context of Covid-19 pandemic
Die COVID-Krise in Afghanistan: Welche Auswirkungen auf die humanitäre und politische Lage? (Special or Analytical Report, German)
de ID 2033885
July 2020 | EUAA – European Union Agency for Asylum (formerly: European Asylum Support Office, EASO) (Author)
Afghanistan

Report on criminal law, customary justice and dispute resolution (socio-legal framework for punishment of crime; land disputes; blood feuds and revenge killings)
Afghanistan; Criminal law, customary justice and informal dispute resolution (Special or Analytical Report, English)
en ID 2034456
June 2020 | BFA Staatendokumentation (Austrian Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum, COI unit) (Author)
Afghanistan

Report on the societal perceptions regarding women
Analyse der Staatendokumentation zu Afghanistan: Gesellschaftliche Einstellung zu Frauen in Afghanistan (Special or Analytical Report, German)
de ID 2032976
April 2020 | USIP – US Institute of Peace (Author)
Afghanistan

Report on service delivery in areas influenced or controlled by Taliban
Service Delivery in Taliban-Influenced Areas of Afghanistan (Special or Analytical Report, English)
en ID 2029646
16 January 2020 | HRC – UN Human Rights Council (formerly UN Commission on Human Rights) (Author)
Afghanistan

Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the human rights situation and technical assistance achievementes in the field of human rights
Situation of human rights in Afghanistan, and technical assistance achievements in the field of human rights; Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights [A/HRC/43/74] (Special or Analytical Report, English)
en ID 2024413

Austrian Red Cross
Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation (ACCORD)

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Important documents

Annual report on civilian casualties, attacks against and protection of civilians in 2020

Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the human rights situation in Afghanistan

Report on the socio-economic situation in Afghanistan (background; security situation; returnees; economy)

Report on the socio-economic and security situation in Balkh Province, based on Interviews during a fact-finding mission to Mazar-i Sharif in 2019

Report on the security situation and peace process

Brief report on political, economic, social and humanitarian situation in context of Covid-19 pandemic

Report on criminal law, customary justice and dispute resolution (socio-legal framework for punishment of crime; land disputes; blood feuds and revenge killings)

Report on the societal perceptions regarding women

Report on service delivery in areas influenced or controlled by Taliban

Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the human rights situation and technical assistance achievementes in the field of human rights