The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, warned Tuesday that the failure to stop the growing violence and human rights violations in Afghanistan is having devastating consequences for its civilians.

Following the withdrawal of US soldiers from Afghanistan, the Taliban has quickly taken control of vast areas of the country. In the preceding week, it seized control of eleven provincial capitals. According to the UN’s mid-year Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict report, released in July 2021, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan recorded 5,183 civilian casualties between January and June 2021. The report attributed these casualties to the ground engagements between Taliban and Afghan forces and airstrikes by pro-government forces.

High Commissioner Bachelet said that reports of summary executions and attacks on government officials and their families have surfaced from Taliban-controlled and contested areas. Further, there have also been reports of grave violations of international humanitarian law, such as killings by the Taliban of hors de combat members of Afghan forces. “People rightly fear that a seizure of power by the Taliban will erase the human rights gains of the past two decades,” she continued.

Furthermore, the High Commissioner added that the Taliban has targeted women in particular. Women and girls in various Taliban-controlled regions are not allowed to leave their homes without a male escort, which not only violates women’s economic and social rights but also jeopardizes their right to health. According to reports received by the UN, women who violate these rules are being publicly flogged and beaten.

The High Commissioner said that unless all parties return to the negotiation table and achieve a peaceful settlement, the situation in Afghanistan will worsen. She urged the Taliban to cease their military operations in Afghan cities and stressed that “states have a duty to use any leverage they have to de-escalate the situation and reinvigorate peace processes.” Thus, she asked the international community to act immediately to prevent further atrocities and to guarantee that Afghan civilians do not have to bear the impact of a prolonged and deadly conflict once again.

Last month, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees warned of an impending humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, citing increasing conflicts as causes of human suffering and civilian displacement. Earlier this week, it announced that 244,000 Afghans have been internally displaced within the country since May 2021.