Herstory: Afghanistan 2023

Fiona Frazer, chief of Human Rights Service,
Speaks against the horrors, urging a ceasefire.
Taliban, the de facto rulers, must protect,
The right to life is a vow they must reflect.

Yet, a significant number remains unknown,
Deaths unattributed, grief left to drown.
Suicide attacks escalate, a lethal game,
More lives lost, a heartache to reclaim.

Amidst financial crisis and a nation’s plight,
Donor funding drops, leaving victims in fright.
Access to support, medical aid in despair,
A struggle intensified, lives hanging in the air.

Help for the victims, a plea in the night,
Struggling to find solace, a flickering light.
Donor funding is scarce, vital services fade,
The suffering deepens, under a dark cascade.

The UN demands an end to the pain,
Taliban’s responsibility, and safety they must sustain.
Promises of moderation left behind,
Harsh rules enforce, a future unkind.

Girls’ education banned, progress denied,
Afghan women are silenced, and their dreams are set aside.
NGOs and the UN, their voices silenced too,
The world watches, appalled by what they do.

The Taliban’s grip tightens, a haunting repeat,
Sharia’s law imposed a bitter defeat.
The international outcry, against their reign,
Recognition denied, amidst cries of disdain.

In Afghanistan’s turmoil, a nation cries,
Innocent lives are lost, and hopes and dreams agonize.
May peace find its way to this war-torn land,
and heal the wounds that were caused by the American hand.