The UN’s envoy to Afghanistan warned of worsening violence and an increasingly anxious population on Thursday following US President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw forces from the country.
Deborah Lyons, head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), described evermore roadside car bombs, mass civilian and child casualties and “new terrorist threats” as the US was halving the size of its deployment.
Her comments came in a week that top US general Mark Milley held emergency talks with Taliban and Afghan officials in a bid to quell violence in Afghanistan and bolster a fragile peace process as Washington seeks to end its 19-year deployment.
“The sense and perception of violence and insecurity is higher now than ever,” Ms Lyons told a virtual meeting of the UN Security Council.
“The ongoing security transition coupled with the emerging reality of international troop withdrawals have obviously added to the anxieties felt by the Afghan population.”
Mr Trump in November decided to slash troop levels in Afghanistan from 4,500 to 2,500 by January 15, leaving many questions unanswered about the future of the US military mission there after he leaves office the following week.
Violence in Afghanistan has surged in recent months even as the Taliban and Afghan government negotiators are meeting in Qatar to try to hammer out a peace deal that could put an end to decades of war.
Improvised explosive devices killed and maimed 60 per cent more civilians in October and November than in the same months in 2019, said Ms Lyons. Attacks on schools and deaths of children increased, she added.
The number of assassinations has also risen, said Ms Lyons. The deputy governor of Kabul, Mahboobullah Mohebi, and his assistant were killed on Tuesday when a sticky bomb attached to his armoured vehicle detonated in the capital city.
After talks with Afghan and Taliban officials this week, Army Gen Milley said the Taliban had stepped up attacks on Afghan forces, particularly in Helmand and Kandahar, and against roadways and other infrastructure.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff met for about two hours with Taliban negotiators in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday and flew on Wednesday to Kabul to discuss the peace process with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
“The most important part of the discussions that I had with both the Taliban and the government of Afghanistan was the need for an immediate reduction in violence,” Army Gen Milley told AP.
“Everything else hinges on that.”
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Sept 18: India v Qualifier (Dubai)
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Sept 21: Group B Winner v Group A Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 23: Group A Winner v Group A Runner-up (Dubai)
Sept 23: Group B Winner v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE