Protect Journalists Under Threat in Afghanistan

Since the Taliban takeover in August 2021, the Afghan media sector faces an existential crisis that has resulted in diminished access to information for Afghan citizens. In 2022, a year that started off with a massive evacuation effort by the international community, addressing related emergency support needs continued to be a priority for Internews.

We continue to refine our approaches to supporting media in exile, in conflict settings, and in closed and closing states. After 20 years of operating in Kabul, we have now restructured to implement programs remotely. While the challenges of managing a diverse and complex portfolio remotely with a scattered team are significant, a huge amount has been achieved thanks to the team’s prior relationship and knowledge of Afghan partners’ operational structures and systems, and their existing working relationships with key staff, as well as additional support from other Internews teams in Asia, IEU and IUS.

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“Throughout the year, Internews supported independent media outlets to pivot to new operational models. Some of these outlets are working from exile and others have been working publicly primarily from Afghanistan; all have been able to continue to produce important and valued content. These achievements by Internews’ Afghan partners are therefore extremely significant, as they continue to operate in an environment that is tremendously difficult and with increasing restrictions imposed on society and public life.”

-          Sharmini Boyle, Internews Country Director, Afghanistan

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Internews has been in Afghanistan for two decades, working alongside Afghan journalists, media entrepreneurs, and technologists as they fostered a media sector that, at its height, employed thousands of women, reached every province, and became one of the most trusted institutions in the country.

The turmoil in Afghanistan reminds us just how fragile the gains we make can be – from these colorful decades of support  – only to take a giant step backwards. This reinforces the need for vigilance in advancing the causes of human rights and inclusive democracy despite difficult odds.

We sincerely thank you for your donations, on behalf of our organization and the journalists serving their communities around the world. It wouldn’t be possible without you.