EU Chargé d’affaires in Afghanistan Raffaella Iodice met Tariq Ali Bakheet, OIC’s Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian, Cultural, Family and Social Affairs and special envoy for Afghanistan, and his accompanying delegation in Kabul, it was announced Tuesday.

Iodice said on X that they discussed the humanitarian and economic situation in Afghanistan as well as the right to education.

“Principled support for the sake of the people remains key,” she said. “Female voices need to be part of any dialogue and constructive engagement in Afghanistan.”

Earlier, the OIC delegation met with the officials of the Islamic Emirate.

There was significant deterioration in women’s rights in 2023 due to edicts that further restricted access to education and employment, with a net result that women were increasingly confined to domestic roles, the U.S. State Department said in its annual human rights report.

Killings, severe physical abuse, harsh and life-threatening prison conditions, unjust detentions and abductions, restrictions on freedom of expression and media freedom, restrictions on internet freedom, restrictions on political participation; corruption and child recruitment were among human rights issues cited in the report.

It said that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) did not purport to formally change existing laws as legislated by the Republic-era government; however, they promulgated edicts that contradicted those laws and were inconsistent with Afghanistan’s obligations under international conventions.

“This year’s report also captures human rights abuses against members of vulnerable communities. In Afghanistan, the Taliban (IEA) have limited work opportunities for women, shuttered institutions found educating girls, and increasing floggings for women and men accused of, quote, ‘immoral behavior,’ end quote,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

IEA’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, in reaction to the report, said that the people of Afghanistan are Muslims and their rights are defined and ensured according to Islamic laws.

He added that the culture and human rights defined in the United States and other western countries are different from Afghanistan and Westerners should not impose their culture on other countries.

The Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) organization has reported that the rains and floods of the last week have claimed the lives of many Afghan and incurred huge financial losses.

According to the organization, a total of 1,500 families have suffered as a result of the recent floods and hundreds of livestock have also been lost.

IRW added that following the recent rains, 900 houses were partially or completely destroyed and 93,000 hectares of agricultural land was damaged.

This comes amid an ongoing economic crisis in Afghanistan which has left millions of people reliant on aid.

The disaster management ministry meanwhile confirmed earlier that 99 people died and 64 others were injured as a result of the heavy rains.