AGP Executive Report

Afghan Medical Students in Pakistan: Lahore High Court suspended PMDC notifications ordering Afghan medical students to return home, letting students continue education while petitions are heard; similar court actions are reported as students face expulsion fears and regulator directives. Humanitarian & Health Access: UN and rights groups continue warning that aid cuts and Taliban restrictions are deepening Afghanistan’s health and humanitarian crisis, with women and vulnerable groups hit hardest. Health in Conflict Zones: HRW and Harvard’s clinic urged stronger international rules after verified reports of white phosphorus use in southern Lebanon, highlighting the need to protect civilians from harmful munitions. Care for War-Related Health: Coverage also reflects on long-term health impacts on veterans and first responders, including mental health and chronic illness needs after service. Sports & Public Life (local impact): Delhi Traffic Police announced major road curbs and parking rules around Arun Jaitley Stadium for the India–Afghanistan T20 match, affecting movement for spectators and commuters.

Afghan Medical Students in Pakistan: Pakistan’s medical regulator PMDC had ordered Afghan medical students to return home and barred new admissions, but the Lahore High Court suspended the directives and barred Punjab medical colleges from expelling students or canceling exams while petitions are heard. Court Protection: The ruling followed challenges by Afghan students arguing PMDC exceeded its authority and that they were admitted with education visas; the judge said they should be heard before any action and rejected “state security” as a reason to remove them mid-study. Humanitarian Health Pressure: Separate reporting highlights how conflict and policy shifts can strain healthcare systems—Russia is reportedly repurposing civilian maternity wards into military hospitals, degrading care for ordinary patients. 9/11 Health Legacy (Global): As the 25th anniversary is marked, renewed focus is on long-term health impacts from toxic exposure, including ongoing monitoring and treatment needs for responders and survivors.

Afghan Students in Pakistan: Pakistan’s foreign office says there is no “blanket ban” on Afghan students with valid visas and enrolled in recognized degree programs, after PM&DC directives triggered orders for some medical students to leave within 24 hours. Court Challenge in Lahore: Afghan medical students have filed a petition in the Lahore High Court seeking to suspend PM&DC and university deportation directives, warning the move could derail final-year degrees. Human Rights Pushback: Human Rights Watch urges Pakistan to reverse the expulsion order, calling it discriminatory and warning of serious harm—especially for women students. Afghanistan Administration Reform: Afghanistan reports simplifying 928 administrative procedures across 13 institutions over five years, aiming to cut bureaucracy, delays, and corruption. Public Health & Polio: Pakistan’s PM Shehbaz meets Gates Foundation representatives, reaffirming commitment to polio eradication and support for health and nutrition programs. Trade & Costs: Kandahar dried-fruit traders seek alternate routes to India as land routes close and air freight costs rise, shifting exports through other Asian corridors.

Afghan Medical Education Under Pressure: Human Rights Watch says Pakistan has ordered medical and dental institutions to expel Afghan students and halt new admissions, with Lahore’s King Edward Medical University reportedly telling 20 Afghan students (including women) to report within 24 hours—HRW warns this could block women’s paths to becoming doctors and violates education rights. Visa Clarification: Pakistan’s Foreign Office says Afghan students with valid visas can continue studies, rejecting claims of a blanket ban, but uncertainty remains for enrolled students. Rights Watchdogs Alarm: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan also condemned the rustication and repatriation move, urging protection against forced returns and warning it could turn education policy into a humanitarian crisis. Polio Update: WHO confirmed four new wild polio cases in Afghanistan, bringing 2026 total to 23 and highlighting ongoing transmission despite vaccination efforts. Humanitarian Displacement: REACH reports about 3.1 million people were internally displaced in Afghanistan in 2025, driven by poverty, unemployment, food insecurity and drought. UN Rights Warning: UN human rights chief Volker Türk says Afghanistan’s crisis is worsening “from bad to worse,” with restrictions tightening and forced returns increasing. Health System Strain: Reports also note aid cuts closing hundreds of health facilities, affecting millions, as needs deepen.

Afghan Medical Education Under Pressure: Pakistan’s medical regulator (PM&DC) has ordered Afghan medical and dental students to return home and barred new Afghan admissions, triggering appeals from students and criticism from Afghan officials and rights groups. Humanitarian Funding & Access: The NRC’s Jan Egeland says Afghanistan is fading from the international agenda, with infant malnutrition rising and aid funding at less than a third of needs. Cancer Care Update: Afghanistan’s health ministry says it registered nearly 99,000 cancer patients over the past year, underscoring ongoing pressure on oncology services. Health System Preparedness: The U.S. Defense Health Agency highlights data-driven planning for future combat support, including mental health, TBI, and infectious disease priorities. Public Health After 9/11: A new GW-related public health focus points to long-term health impacts on first responders and survivors, keeping attention on mental and physical consequences.

Humanitarian Health Funding: Afghanistan’s health system is under severe strain as aid declines, with reports saying about 600 essential healthcare facilities have closed or cut services, affecting around 4 million people, including 2 million children. Immunization & Disease Control: A new look at measles and polio highlights why eradication efforts can stall when funding, surveillance, and coverage weaken—key lessons for Afghanistan’s prevention agenda. Aid Access & Women’s Needs: NRC chief Jan Egeland says humanitarian needs are deepening while international support drops, warning infant malnutrition is rising and families feel “abandoned,” especially women and girls. Health Sector Policy: Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid urged that health assistance not be politicized and said the government plans more district hospitals if external funding falls. Education & Medical Workforce: Pakistan’s PMDC ordered Afghan medical and dental students to leave and barred new admissions, prompting Amnesty and rights voices to call it discriminatory—raising fears for future Afghan doctors. Public Health Infrastructure: WHO-linked reporting notes hundreds of primary healthcare and nutrition services have been shut or scaled back, disrupting maternal care and family planning.

Medical Education Under Pressure: Amnesty International condemned Pakistan’s Medical and Dental Council directive ordering Afghan medical and dental students to leave Pakistan and suspending new Afghan admissions, warning it will hit female students hardest and disrupt years of training. Local Health Access: In Khost, authorities closed 25 pharmacies, clinics and health centres after inspections found issues like unlicensed services, missing pharmacists, and expired medicines collected for destruction. Learning Barriers: UN agencies marked International Literacy Day by warning that Taliban restrictions are blocking children’s learning, with girls kept out of school beyond sixth grade and ongoing barriers to reading and education. Human Rights Watch: A UN Human Rights Council report says Taliban policies are increasingly restrictive for minorities, females and children, citing discrimination, repression, and abuse that shrink future opportunities. Education Disruption at Universities: Reports also say King Edward Medical University in Lahore told Afghan MBBS students to complete return formalities within 24 hours after PMDC directives.

Hospital Access Costs: Patients in Herat say government care is hard to afford, with expensive medicine prescriptions and delays tied to shortages at Herat Regional Hospital. Human Rights & Health: UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett warns Taliban restrictions are reshaping education and healthcare, with nearly 9 million children facing severe hunger and 3.7 million under-5s suffering acute malnutrition. UN Women Ban Impact: The UN marks one year since Afghan women were barred from UN premises, saying it blocks life-saving assistance and calls for removal of restrictions. Education & Health Workforce: Pakistan has suspended medical and dental education for Afghan students, ordering current students to leave—raising concerns for future healthcare staffing. Higher Education Expansion: Afghanistan’s Islamic Emirate says new master’s/PhD programmes and faculties are planned, including health-related fields and AI, with priority for Afghan lecturers. Aid & Coordination: UNAMA says humanitarian support must be increased and timely, praising recent food and medicine transfers via Torkham and proposing a joint communication mechanism. Cross-border Health Risks: UN warns Taliban policies and conflict pressures are driving child harm, including malnutrition and preventable suffering.

UN Human Rights: UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett says Taliban policies are crossing “red lines” with little consequence, warning that restrictions on education and healthcare and rising hunger and malnutrition are putting millions of Afghan lives at risk. Women’s Access to Work: UN chief António Guterres urges the Taliban to lift the one-year ban on Afghan women entering UN premises, saying it violates international law and blocks life-saving aid delivery. Humanitarian Funding & Hunger: Bennett’s report highlights nearly 9 million children facing severe hunger and 3.7 million under-5s with acute malnutrition, calling for sustained, predictable humanitarian support. International Mediation: Qatar reiterates its commitment to support Afghanistan through mediation and dialogue, stressing the need to link humanitarian response with political engagement. Higher Education: Afghanistan’s Islamic Emirate says it has prepared new master’s/PhD programmes and faculties, including health-related fields, and reports issuing 110,064 educational certificates last year. Healthcare System Strain: UN warnings also point to attacks affecting health services, including concern over an Omid drug rehabilitation center in Kabul.

Afghan Hunger Crisis: A UN expert warns nearly 9 million Afghan children face severe hunger, with 3.7 million under age five suffering acute malnutrition, as Taliban policies and poverty deepen the risk to an entire generation. Child Protection Alarm: The UN special rapporteur says Taliban restrictions plus hunger and weakened child protection systems could cause long-term, potentially irreversible harm for Afghan children, with boys also facing child labor, corporal punishment, and recruitment pressure. Women’s Education via Online Learning: Nearly 100 Afghan women graduated from the Online Women’s University across 11 provinces, completing degrees in fields including medicine and psychology despite ongoing bans on girls’ education. Surgery Access in Kabul: A Bangladesh Islamic Center medical team, with the Afghan Red Crescent, is providing free cleft lip and palate surgeries for 120 children in Kabul, aiming to expand care to remote areas. Health Funding Push: Afghanistan’s health ministry is urging donors to boost health sector funding as humanitarian needs rise.

Child Health in Kabul: A Bangladesh Islamic Center surgical team, working with the Afghan Red Crescent Society, is in Kabul to provide free cleft lip and palate surgeries for 120 children, aiming to reach patients from remote areas and expand services after the program. Nutrition Crisis: UN reporting warns Afghan children are facing severe hunger and acute malnutrition, with millions at risk as the humanitarian situation deepens. Rights & Well-Being: A UN special rapporteur says Taliban restrictions, hunger, child labor, forced and child marriage, and the weakening of child-protection systems are harming Afghan children’s development and future, with boys also facing rising risks. Access to Care in Ghor: Residents in Ghor province say many families can reach doctors only once a month as health facilities and medical workers have been reduced or stopped, leaving children especially vulnerable. Regional Health Meeting: The SAARC ENT Congress in Colombo highlights efforts to improve access to ear, nose, throat and head-and-neck care across South Asia, including Afghanistan.

Child Nutrition Crisis: MSF reports child malnutrition cases in Kandahar rose 30% year-on-year, with 12,530 children seeking treatment between January and August and 3,450 suffering severe acute malnutrition. Humanitarian Funding Pressure: UNICEF warns 4.9 million women and children in Afghanistan will need acute malnutrition treatment in 2026, as food insecurity, disease outbreaks, and severe funding shortages worsen the situation. WFP Hunger Alert: WFP says nearly 14 million Afghans face acute hunger, with funding cuts limiting food help to just one in nine people in need. Health System Strain: The Ministry of Public Health urged donors to boost health sector funding, discussing access, regulation, mental health, and support for IDPs and returnees at a Health Cluster meeting. Access Gaps in Rural Areas: In Ghor province, residents say doctors and clinics are available only once a month, while many health facilities have stopped or reduced services over the past five years. Regional Medical Collaboration: A SAARC ENT Congress in Colombo focused on improving equitable ear, nose, throat and head-and-neck care across South Asia, including Afghanistan.

Malnutrition Crisis: MSF reports child malnutrition cases in Kandahar rose 30% year-on-year, with 12,530 children seeking treatment between January and August and 3,450 suffering severe acute malnutrition, as poverty, food insecurity, and reduced aid strain health services. Acute Hunger Warning: WFP says nearly 14 million Afghans face acute hunger, with severe funding cuts limiting food support to just one in nine people in need. Nutrition Treatment Need: UNICEF warns 4.9 million women and children in Afghanistan will require treatment for acute malnutrition in 2026, citing worsening food insecurity, disease risk, and shortages in nutrition and health services. Health Funding Push: Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health urged donors to boost health sector funding at a Health Cluster meeting, highlighting work on standardizing services and moving toward a more self-reliant system. Girls’ Education & Health Workforce: Former President Hamid Karzai renewed calls to reopen schools for girls and expand women’s work, saying educated women are essential across sectors including healthcare and medicine. Charity Access Gap: On International Day of Charity, Afghan voices and officials pointed to uneven access to charitable support, with some families waiting years for promised help.

Acute Malnutrition Alert: UNICEF warns nearly 4.9 million women and children in Afghanistan will need treatment for acute malnutrition in 2026, driven by worsening food insecurity, disease outbreaks, climate shocks, and severe funding gaps. It estimates 3.7 million children under five and 1.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women will be affected, with critical levels in 12 provinces and rising pressure after 1.08 million returns from Iran and Pakistan since January. Child Marriage Focus: The UN General Assembly set November 27 as an International Day to end child, early and forced marriage, highlighting long-term harm to girls’ health, education, and safety. Women’s Education Barrier: Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai refused to praise the Taliban, saying he can’t do so while girls remain barred from secondary school—calling women’s education essential for sectors including medicine and health. At-Risk Afghans in Pakistan: A report says thousands of Afghans who fled Taliban rule still live in hiding in Pakistan, facing deportation risks and major barriers to work, study, and basic services.

Afghanistan Health & Nutrition: UNICEF reports 4.9 million women and children in Afghanistan need malnutrition treatment, underscoring urgent gaps in care. Water & Health Risks: Badghis residents are reportedly forced to drink contaminated water amid shortages, raising risks of outbreaks and worsening chronic illness. Aid & Health System Pressure: A report says US foreign aid freezes have disrupted oxygen and hospital services, including a Nangarhar Regional Hospital oxygen plant that stopped functioning, with sepsis and birth asphyxia cases left dependent on limited supplies. Humanitarian Funding: The Red Cross warns Afghanistan is being overlooked despite extreme needs, while UN coverage highlights war trauma and psychological harm affecting survivors. Healthcare Access & Safety Abroad: Canada issues a travel advisory urging caution in Afghanistan due to kidnapping, arbitrary detention, and passport confiscation risks by Taliban authorities. Military Medicine (US): A Navy Medicine training center changes command, aiming to accelerate readiness of expeditionary medical teams for battlefield care. Insurance & Claims (US): Texas AG Ken Paxton opens an investigation into a military healthcare contractor over wrongfully denied TRICARE claims tied to “other health insurance” errors.

Malnutrition Crisis: UNICEF says 4.9 million women and children in Afghanistan need malnutrition treatment in 2026, with 3.7 million children under 5 and 1.2 million pregnant or breastfeeding women projected to face acute malnutrition; services are reaching thousands of health facilities and community posts, but food insecurity, returns, outbreaks, and disasters are worsening needs. Safe Water Emergency: Badghis residents in Bala Murghab report being forced to drink contaminated water from streams and underground channels, with families linking illnesses to unsafe supplies and limited daily access. Aid Funding Pressure: Save the Children warns that the oil-price shock tied to the Middle East conflict is wiping out aid reach, forcing the charity to spend more to deliver to fewer children, including in Afghanistan. Health System Strain: A report highlights how US foreign-aid freezes can disrupt critical hospital supplies—oxygen plants and health worker support—putting newborns and paediatric care at risk. Humanitarian Justice: UN reporting says decades of war have left Afghan victims without justice or redress, while UN findings also point to deep psychological harm across conflict-affected communities.