Margot Buff

'Our Futures Will Be Ruined': Afghan Girls Fear Denial Of Education Under Taliban

Since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, the militants have made vague statements about allowing girls to get an education, but so far, that female secondary-school students have stayed home. Students told Radio Azadi about their fear that their educations have been cut short.

Jobless And Cashless, Afghans Sell Off Possessions To Survive Economic Collapse

Millions are out of work, the country's foreign reserves are frozen, cash has mostly dried up, and markets are running low on imported goods. Afghanistan's collapsing economy has had devastating personal impacts, with some unemployed Afghans selling off their household items to buy food.

'Just A Mom' In Oklahoma Helped Afghan Girls' Robotics Team Flee The Taliban

Allyson Reneau, a mother of 11 and an expert in U.S. space policy, welcomed the Afghan girls' robotics team when they traveled to the United States in 2019 for a technology conference. In mid-August, as Taliban militants descended on Kabul, Reneau quickly helped the young engineers flee to safety.

For Radio Azadi Reporter, Covering Afghan Women's Rights Is Worth The Risks

As Afghanistan faces a resurgence of the Taliban, the hard-won rights of Afghan women hang in the balance. One young female reporter for RFE/RL's Radio Azadi says it's her mission to tell women's stories as they fight to defend their rights.

Afghan Medical Device Aims To Solve Oxygen Shortage Amid COVID Surge

Taliban Seizes Civilian Homes In Kandahar As Government Forces Fight To Defend City

Fighting between Afghan security forces and Taliban militants broke out in the southern city of Kandahar on July 9, leaving at least 18 people dead and more than 100 wounded. Government troops say the militants have seized homes in residential neighborhoods, forcing civilians to flee.

Amid Taliban Offensive, Afghan Civilians Are Taking Up Arms

Taliban militants have seized dozens of districts across Afghanistan as fighting has surged in recent weeks. Civilians in some parts of the country have begun mobilizing into armed militias, vowing to fight alongside troops to keep the Taliban from taking more territory.

As Afghan Talks Stall, Former Fighters On Both Sides Hope For Resolution

Talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban have halted in recent weeks as extremists launched a new wave of attacks. But two former combatants say they're still holding out hope for the peace process and an eventual end to the conflict.

'An Attack On Free Speech': Colleagues Remember Afghan RFE/RL Journalist Killed In Bombing

RFE/RL correspondent Mohammad Ilyas Dayee was known for his intrepid reporting in Afghanistan's Helmand Province. In November 2020, he was killed by a bomb attached to his car. It was just one of many targeted attacks in the past year that have silenced vital voices in Afghanistan's embattled media.

For Pakistani Children In One Poor Neighborhood, A New School Makes All The Difference

Mohammad Khan's family fled Pakistan's Waziristan region during anti-Taliban military operations and endured the hardships of life as displaced people. Determined to help other struggling families, Khan founded his own school in a poor neighborhood for kids with no other access to education.

Twenty Years Later, Cultural Scars Remain From Loss Of Giant Afghan Buddhas

In March 2001, Taliban extremists used dynamite and artillery to demolish two towering Buddha statues that had stood in Afghanistan's Bamiyan Province for nearly 1,500 years. Today, the country is still not at peace, and hopes of rebuilding the statues are stymied by prohibitive costs.

School Program Offers Signs Of Hope For Afghanistan's Stateless Jogi Minority

Members of Afghanistan's Jogi minority are not counted as citizens, which means they have no rights to receive an education, vote, or own property. But activists in northern Jowzjan Province have succeeded in bringing about a first step toward change: a school for both children and adults.

Images Of Children With Mother Wounded In Kabul Attack Prompt Outpouring Of Grief

Survivors' Stories: The Trauma Of Severe COVID-19

Masks For Everyone? More Countries Are Making Them Mandatory

Iranians Turn To Good Deeds In Dark Times

Displaced And Desperate, Afghan Kids Search Trash For Food

'Everyone Is Dead': Wedding Bombing Devastated A Pakistani Family