Afghanistan Today

Afghanistan in 2025 is likely to be safer and more secure than it has been in decades. As the current government continues to exert control over the entire country and continues to work to stamp out any opposition to its rule, the risk of a bomb going off in the market, or children being kidnapped and held for ransom will likely continue to fall. Roads that were once filled with armed bandits are once again free to travel along, and the level of corruption and bribe-taking remains significantly less than in years past.

However, this ‘safety’ comes at a high price for all Afghans. While the country is safer, it is less free and there are fewer opportunities. Homes can be searched without question for contraband, phones must be handed over at a moment’s notice for government workers to search, and men and women are compelled to act in certain ways: men must attend the mosque for prayers and wear their beard a ‘respectable’ length. Women must be quiet in public, and covered, and their daughters may not attend school. With the current government, there are fewer possibilities for a social safety net for poor citizens and fewer economic opportunities for ordinary Afghans. Many are out of work and struggling to put food on the table. At the end of 2023, the UN reported that 29 million people require humanitarian assistance, a 340% increase over the last five years. This number represents over two-thirds of the entire population.1

Even this ‘safety’ does not apply to Christians. While Christians in the country a few years ago were not welcome and were persecuted by their communities and their own families, they now face the additional risk of a government that is opposed to who they are and is willing to take action against them. Many Afghan believers have fled the country and are living as refugees. Others have remained in the country and must hide any trace of what they believe, often downloading and deleting Bible apps on their phone each day. For those who have been caught with a Bible app on their phone, they risk arrest, beatings or even more serious and disturbing punishments at the hands of the authorities.

While there is little freedom for Afghans, VOM Australia’s ministry partner is sharing the message of hope and freedom in Jesus. Through social media and radio projects, the partners proclaim the gospel and speak one-on-one with believers and seekers who respond.

Please pray that Afghan people respond to the message of hope and that the small underground church will be strengthened in Afghanistan.

Source: https://www.unocha.org/news/afghanistan-humanitarian-needs-push-record-levels-years-end