UN official warns Taliban's vice and virtue laws signal 'alarming future' for Afghanistan

A senior United Nations official has warned that the Taliban's newly introduced vice and virtue laws represent a "distressing vision" for Afghanistan's future.

The laws, which include a ban on women’s voices and bare faces in public, have sparked international concern over further erosion of women’s rights in the country.

Roza Otunbayeva, head of the UN mission in Afghanistan, expressed deep concern on Sunday, stating that these laws extend the already severe restrictions on the rights of women and girls.

“Even the sound of a female voice outside the home now seems to be considered a moral violation,” Roza said.

The Taliban's Vice and Virtue Ministry, empowered to enforce these laws, issued its first set of regulations last Wednesday.

The laws require women to conceal their faces, bodies, and voices while in public.

The ministry is authorised to regulate personal conduct and administer punishments, including warnings or arrests, for alleged violations.

“After decades of war and amidst a devastating humanitarian crisis, the Afghan people deserve much better than to be threatened or jailed over minor infractions,” Roza added, criticizing the potential impact of the laws on Afghan society.

The UN mission is currently studying the newly ratified laws and assessing their implications for the Afghan population, as well as their potential effect on the UN and other humanitarian operations in the region.

In a televised statement, Mohammad Khaled Hanafi, the Taliban’s Vice and Virtue Minister, claimed that the laws were in line with Islamic principles and assured that women’s rights would be protected.

However, the international community remains skeptical, as these measures are expected to further isolate Afghanistan and deepen the crisis faced by its people.