Despite international scrutiny, Islamist rule remains entrenched as the Taliban enforces strict Islamic laws, erases religious freedom, and shows little intent to ease restrictions. Nearly half of Afghanistan’s population — around 23 million people — now require humanitarian aid to survive, with widespread food insecurity, poverty, and insufficient resources.

Nehemiah with FMI says, “Over the last few years, since the Taliban have been in power, the situation has gotten worse in Afghanistan. The situation has fallen apart dramatically.”

FMI receives continual reports from partnering indigenous pastors and Gospel workers in Afghanistan and Pakistan. More about that here.

Believers expected more persecution under Taliban rule, but surprisingly, “Taliban are not going after Christian workers in Afghanistan,” Nehemiah reports.

Instead, “they are hunting down other religious (groups) or sects within Islam. So even Shias are being severely persecuted.”

However, Gospel workers did confirm that women face severe pressure. “Women are restricted from most employment,” Nehemiah says.

“The girls are banned from secondary schools and universities, depriving them of the opportunity to pursue knowledge and a future career. For many families, this has extinguished hope for generational progress.”

Photo is a representative stock image courtesy of ArmyAmber via Pixabay.

Afghan Christians persevere

Though they work in secret, FMI walks in lockstep with Afghan pastors. “We support (workers) financially, and we provide them with Bibles in their language, Pashto and Dari Bibles,” Nehemiah says.

“We collaborate with other missionary organizations and [send our partners] evangelistic tools.”

Ten Afghan leaders gathered recently with FMI for updates and fellowship. “It was a wonderful time,” Nehemiah says.

“We spent a few days together, and we [reviewed] the situation, what happened previously, and they named this conference, [the ‘Reemergence] of Ministry in Afghanistan,” he continues.

“They are re-emerging in Afghanistan, and we have very, very high hopes. We believe that God is going to do a lot of miracles, spiritual miracles.”

Keep Afghanistan in your prayers. “I would request our listeners to please pray for the Taliban that they find hope and salvation in Jesus Christ, because the only solution for Afghanistan is in Jesus Christ,” Nehemiah says.

“Pray for the leadership of [FMI’s] Afghan team and the people who work there, that they can lead their pastors and the ministry in a very positive way.”

Help Afghan Christians through FMI here.

Header image depicts Afghan Christians who escaped to Pakistan with help from FMI in 2021. (Photo courtesy of FMI)

“It’s not a very good time [in Afghanistan] because of the hopelessness, the fear. People are tired of Islam,” says Mina*, an Afghan Christian working with Global Catalytic Ministries.

(Graphic courtesy of Global Catalytic Ministries)

The Taliban kicked girls out of the classroom. They’ve barred women from public spaces and cracked down on media freedoms. Earlier this year, officials banned women like Mina from the workplace.

“First, I was feeling sorry for myself. I cried for three weeks. [Then,] God’s grace opened my eyes,” Mina says.

In June, Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada described Afghanistan’s conditions as “comfortable” for women:

“Necessary steps have been taken for the betterment of women as half of society in order to provide them with a comfortable and prosperous life according to the Islamic Shariah… The status of women as a free and dignified human being has been restored and all institutions have been obliged to help women in securing marriage, inheritance and other rights.”

According to Amnesty International, Taliban rulers routinely enforce “a widespread, systematic attack on women and girls as policy.” Afghan women like 25-year-old Elaha Delawarzai endure horrific torture under the banner of Islamic rule.

“Yes, it’s bad for women; we suffer a lot. But it’s also amazing because, in every bad thing that happened concerning the kingdom of God, I have seen good things happening,” Mina says.

“It’s not [like] God lost control.”

Mina can no longer hold an official position due to the Taliban’s mandate. Yet hope remains. The restrictions led to new opportunities.

“I have more time to visit people and talk to people; I’m having more people come to my house,” she says.

Pray for strength as Afghan Christians like Mina meet with new believers for home Bible studies and discipleship. Send support through Global Catalytic Ministries.

“[Pray] for God to help us see things through His eyes and not get distracted [by the] pain around us, but have our eyes fixed on Him,” Mina requests.

*Pseudonym

Header and story images courtesy of Global Catalytic Ministries.

Watch this powerful video marking the anniversary of Afghanistan’s fall.

Last month, senior staff in U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration voiced concern about the August anniversary. Many people view the Afghanistan withdrawal as “one of Biden’s biggest failures,” and its commemoration could shake voter confidence as midterm elections approach.

Reports like this one from the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations add fuel to the fire.

“A lot of people have forgotten about Afghanistan, and the decimation that has happened since the American pull out,” says Reza*, a believer working with Global Catalytic Ministries.

“There’s not a lot of [NGOs or] people who care left (in Afghanistan).”

Today, most Afghans rely on help from foreign aid organizations to survive. Taliban authority led to diplomatic isolation, and the country’s economy tanked. It’s no longer in “free fall,” economists say, but Afghans still cannot access daily essentials.

Testimony on the ground: “A woman and her children moved to the city and have been having a hard time. She was so happy to receive these materials. The previous night, she had a dream that God would help her. God was in her dream and told her, ‘Don’t worry. I am with you. I will help you. Not just in the city, I am with you every place you go. Just don’t worry, and don’t fear. I am with you.’ The Lord was already speaking, and today just proved that we are workers for Him.”
(Photo, caption courtesy of Global Catalytic Ministries)

Read our full Afghanistan coverage here.

Hope for Afghanistan

Working through a network of underground churches, GCM delivers relief aid and helps people escape. More about that here. “We’ve brought out thousands of people,” Reza says.

“It’s become [increasingly] difficult and more expensive, but praise the Lord, He’s given us new avenues to bring people out.”

Afghanistan’s future is bleak. Yet, hope remains. Underground church leaders are staying put to share Christ and make disciples.

“The people of Afghanistan are so tired; Islam has decimated them and the Taliban has controlled them in such wicked ways. They’re looking for any sign of hope,” Reza says.

“Their only hope is Jesus.”

Connect with GCM here to help. The ministry reports the following on its Facebook page regarding Afghanistan Relief Work:

We set out with an initial goal of $500k for Afghanistan relief. We ended up raising $4.5 million. Because of this ground swell of support, we expanded our Afghanistan relief vision to include a 3-year “Restore and Rebuild” plan. Since we have worked in Afghanistan for several years and planted around 100 churches there, we were able to mobilize our existing network of trusted leaders to deliver resources to believers in Afghanistan.

“God is moving so powerfully; we want to start underground churches who make disciples in the darkest places on the earth. With your prayer support and with your generosity that really can happen,” Reza says.

“Afghanistan is still the second-fastest growing church in the world, even with the Taliban in power. Imagine if, one day, we hear 10 percent of the Afghan population has turned to Jesus.”

*Pseudonym

In the header image, U.S. Air Force loadmasters and pilots assigned to the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, load passengers aboard a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III in support of the Afghanistan evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport (HKIA), Afghanistan, Aug. 24, 2021. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Donald R. Allen)

“Hundreds of Afghan Christians fled Afghanistan to Pakistan, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi. They don’t have much freedom in those countries, and the future is also unknown,” Voice of the Martyrs Canada partner Shoaib Ebadi says.

Today, believers who stayed behind face constant turmoil. “They are under daily threat; they live in danger,” Ebadi says.

“Fighting is ongoing, and we hear every day, ‘They (the Taliban) are attacking, they are killing civilians.’”

Listen to the entire conversation on VOM Canada’s podcast here.

(Photo courtesy of VOM Canada)

The United States’ chaotic withdrawal ended a 20-year war last August and left Afghanistan under Taliban rule. Last week, the United Nations released a report describing human rights abuses since the Taliban took over.

Additionally, nearly two-thirds of the population needs humanitarian assistance to survive. That total does not include survivors of the June 22 earthquake in eastern Afghanistan.

The Lord is helping His followers persevere in the world’s most dangerous place to be a Christian.

“In the midst of darkness, they’re trying to help others; they are trying to help the poor people,” Ebadi says.

“[From] the most conservative area of northern Afghanistan, believers call us and they say, ‘Hey, we are here; we worship together, we meet with other families.’”

Connect with VOM Canada here to learn how you can help.

“The priority now is to find a secure place and food and water. [Those are] the basic needs for all people of Afghanistan, including thousands of Afghan Christians,” Ebadi says.

Header and story photos courtesy of VOM Canada.

A believer we’ll call Hossein* says the quake left survivors in despair. “Most of the people I see are hopeless. They think that God forgot them,” he explains.

“They say, ‘we think God hates us.’ But this is not the Gospel message.”

The devastating scenario may be a Gospel opportunity in disguise. “We can help people through the situation and bring the hope of the Gospel [to] them,” Hossein says.

Afghan believers are reaching out to Heart4Iran – desperate for Christ’s Truth and craving the promises of the Gospel! There is a crucial need for Bibles in their native language, Dari, like the one in this photo.
(Photo, caption courtesy of Heart4Iran)

Desperate Afghans frequently reach out to Heart4Iran’s 24-hour call center, opening the door to further conversation.

“Afghans have no hope under the Taliban rule. Many are looking for meaningful answers. A lot of Afghans, especially the young generation, have dreams and visions,” Hossein says.

“We receive calls and messages daily from people who want to know more about Jesus and Christianity.”

Without access to God’s Word or a body of believers, Afghans struggle to know and follow Christ. “There are no Bibles. In fact, Bibles are illegal in Afghanistan,” Hossein says.

Heart4Iran works alongside a network of secret believers and churches in Afghanistan. Together, they’re getting God’s Word and discipleship to those who need it most. Here’s how you can help.

“We need the support of the Christian community to reach Afghanistan, and [serve] the Christians who [are] left behind and the new believers,” Hossein says.

*Pseudonym

Header image depicts widespread damage in eastern Afghanistan following a June 22 earthquake. (Photo courtesy of Global Catalytic Ministries)

Thousands of homes collapsed, burying entire villages – and the people in them – under rubble. The Taliban lacks heavy rescue equipment, and The Associated Press reports people digging with their bare hands to find survivors.

Heart4Iran works alongside a network of underground churches in Afghanistan. “Yesterday, I talked with some of them and they are okay. But the situation is horrible,” says Hossein*, an Afghan believer from a Muslim background working with Heart4Iran.

“Most of the critical resources and venues were either destroyed by the Taliban or were pushed out of Afghanistan. This has created a vacuum of meaningful resources to help survivors or help people get back on their feet.”

Many charities left Afghanistan after the United States’ chaotic withdrawal last August. United Nations workers are on the ground now but the country’s healthcare system is virtually nonexistent, leaving quake survivors to fend for themselves.

A “shakemap” showing the intensity and scope of Wednesday’s earthquake near Khōst, Afghanistan.
(Wikimedia Commons)

“Before the earthquake, more than half of the population was below the poverty line and 19 million [faced] malnutrition,” Hossein says.

“They were hopeless before, but now [they face] extra pressure.”

Only the Lord can bring something good from a situation like this. “Please pray for God’s compassion for Afghanistan and pray [He will] touch the millions of broken hearts,” Hossein requests.

“Pray for our team as we do evangelism, church planting, discipleship, and leadership inside Afghanistan; also for the relief that we are doing for believers, and through them, for others.”

Help send Bibles to Afghanistan here.

Header image shows one of many collapsed houses in the quake zone. (Photo courtesy of The Voice of the Martyrs USA)

According to one security expert, “this is a slow back-door way for nations who don’t care about human rights or seek to exploit Afghan resources to confer more power on the Taliban.”

“The Taliban didn’t change at all since 20 years ago, but one thing is changed – they learned how to manipulate; how to talk to the world and do whatever they want,” says Hossein*, an Afghan believer working with Heart4Iran.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Meanwhile, terrorist threats grow daily. United States intelligence reports say both al-Qaeda and the self-proclaimed Islamic State in Khorasan (ISIS-K) are gaining strength. The number of al-Qaeda forces increased in Afghanistan following the U.S. troop withdrawal in August.

Furthermore, an economic crisis and human rights abuses continue on the ground.

“It was difficult for the believers before, but it gets more difficult (today). They (Taliban) are searching the [houses] door to door; they have a checkpoint everywhere, checking the phones, the apps, the messages,” Hossein says.

“I saw a video just a couple of days ago, and they (Taliban) [were] beating someone who didn’t [go] to the mosque.”

Nonetheless, hope remains. “People still stand for the Lord. Many people left the country, but [there are] still many (believers) inside the country,” Hossein says.

“Afghanistan is not done. The Lord can use even the Taliban for His glory.”

From an undisclosed location, Hossein and his wife disciple believers in Afghanistan. Ask the Lord to protect “secret believers” inside the country. “This is the most [important] prayer request for us,” Hossein says.

“I listened to the voicemail from one believer; it was so encouraging to me. He said, ‘They (Taliban) can take everything from us, but they cannot take the love of God. They cannot take our faith.’”

(Graphic courtesy of Heart4Iran)

Support Afghan believers in five ways through Heart4Iran.

Pray Gospel workers will have wisdom and discernment. Pray the Lord will call more believers to join their team. “We need to grow our team to serve better,” Hossein says.

“We need to invest more [so believers will] become a disciple, not only believer; because the believer can be easily changed, but when they become a disciple – that is different.”

Header image courtesy of Heart4Iran.

Hossein*, an Afghan believer working with Heart4Iran, says Russia’s actions in Ukraine look like the Taliban’s takeover of his country eight months ago.

“In Russia, all the magazine against the government is closed, parties or people arrested; the same [happened] in Afghanistan. They want to control everything and want people [to] accept what they say. They don’t accept anyone [who is] against them,” Hossein says.

“Dictatorship is a dictatorship; no matter if it’s communism or Islamic, all dictatorship does the same thing.”

Taliban fighters patrol Kabul, August 2021.
(Wikimedia Commons)

Hossein says Afghans still feel betrayed today, especially by the United States, after the troop withdrawal. “What I hear from many people is they get so hopeless. All of us know that was the [worst] transition ever,” he states.

“Many Afghans had this expectation: that [one day, a] transition supposed to happen. But the bad transition [destroyed] all the past 20 years’ achievement. That’s why people [are] very hopeless, and they [think they are] forgotten.”

Why perceived Western bias isolates believers.

Afghanistan’s forgotten crisis

As the world focuses its attention on the war in Ukraine, the United Nations reminded the international community last week to remember Afghanistan.

Food security levels have plunged at an alarming rate, leaving half the population facing acute hunger, including nine million in a state of emergency food insecurity – the highest number in the world.

Humanitarian needs have tripled since last June, “and they are growing, day by day,” the UN chief warned:

“People are already selling their children and their body parts in order to feed their families. Afghanistan’s economy has effectively collapsed. There is very little cash … The first step in any meaningful humanitarian response must be to halt the death spiral of the Afghan economy. Without that, even the best-funded and most effective aid operation will not save the people of Afghanistan from an unimaginable future.”

(Photo courtesy Heart4Iran)

Surrounded by despair, Afghans are increasingly open to the hope of Christ.

Citing Psalm 34:18, Hossein says, “‘God is near to the broken heart,’ and the (Afghan) heart is really broken. Now they are searching for God.”

Support Afghan believers in five ways through Heart4Iran.

“Many people (Afghans) understand the difference between the government and the people. This is a good thing. [They still expect and trust] the American or Western believers [to] stand with them, continue to support them,” Hossein says.

*Pseudonym

Header image depicts Russian President Vladimir Putin meeting with members of his government via video conference on March 10, 2022. (Wikimedia Commons)

While today marks the end of an active U.S. military presence in Afghanistan, diplomats announced Sunday the Taliban will allow evacuation flights to continue after August 31:

The State Department said Sunday that there are up to 250 Americans still in Afghanistan who have indicated they are trying to get out, in addition to roughly 280 others who have yet to decide whether they want to leave the country or intend to stay.

The Islamic State fired rockets at U.S. troops yesterday amid hurried evacuation flights. Local believers say Islamic State fighters battle alongside the Taliban, “ignoring their differences until all infidels are caught, tortured, and killed.” More about that here. The Taliban blamed ISIS-K for suicide bombings last week at the Kabul airport. The attacks killed more than 100 Afghans and 13 U.S. troops.

Afghan Christians are hiding for now, but they want to stay and reach their neighbors for Christ – despite the increased risk.

“Believers on the ground are running for their lives. They’re literally running into the mountains and the hills,” Reza* of Global Catalytic Ministries says. Follow GCM on Facebook for the latest updates.

“It’s kind of ironic; the places where the Taliban was hiding all these years, they’ve come out, and now the believers are going to those places.”

“Wait until the world isn’t watching.”

Afghan believers face more danger than before. “They (Taliban fighters) have a hit list; they’re looking for Christians. They’re even killing EMT people because they work for the city,” Reza says.

This is a critical time for the body of Christ to continue to pray for the Afghan people. We are believing for a Red Sea moment to come to believers in Afghanistan, protecting them from the enemy, and bringing them onto new ground with divine strategy.
(Photo, caption courtesy of Global Catalytic Ministries)

“This is the Taliban 2.0. They’re coming back with a vengeance, and they are there for a purge.”

Global attention keeps Taliban violence to a minimum, at least in Kabul. “They’re not doing anything right now because the whole world’s watching, but wait until the world isn’t watching,” Reza says.

“They’ve been waiting 20 years for this moment.”

One leader in a certain area of Afghanistan tells Reza, “Any house that has a girl over 12 has to put an X outside of their house; the girl is [taken and] married off to the Taliban. If they don’t put an X outside of the house, [the Taliban will] come and kill the whole family.”

Furthermore, “any woman over 25 that is married, they can kill the husband and take the wife as a reward for jihad,” Reza says.

As described here by Frontier Alliance International (FAI) on August 17:

Husbands and fathers have given their wives and daughters guns and told them that when the Taliban come, they can choose to kill them or kill themselves—it is their choice.

Find your place in the story

Now that you know, what will you do? Between now and September 11, Global Catalytic Ministries is raising emergency funds to supply Afghan believers and ministry partners with food, water, and shelter. Here’s how you can help.

“We’ve been working in this country for over five years. We know how to work [here],” Reza says.

“It doesn’t matter who’s in control. We know how to get resources in, and even how to get people out.”

With these photos, the ones delivering wrote, “You can see the happiness and hope it brings.” Because of the unity of the Church, supplies are getting to those in need.
(Photo, caption courtesy Global Catalytic Ministries)

Pray God would blind the Taliban so leaders can operate without detection. It will take Divine Providence and true miracles. Ask the Lord to protect women and children abducted by the Taliban. Find more prayer needs here.

Pray also for a local believer, “Andy,” who was taken yesterday. GCM partners do not know where he is. Just as Paul and Silas were freed in Acts 16, pray that “Andy” would return home safely and that his captors would see the face of Jesus.

“Afghanistan is the second-fastest-growing Church in the world after Iran. My belief is God is going to start coming in dreams and visions to the Taliban, and He’s going to come even more powerfully than before,” Reza says.

*Pseudonym

Despite the conflict and danger in Afghanistan, our (GCM-assisted) church leaders are not letting up. They remain as committed as ever to promoting the word of Jesus Christ in this nation.  (Photo, caption courtesy of Global Catalytic Ministries)

U.S. officials say troops in Kabul will begin exiting on Friday to get all personnel and equipment out before the August 31 deadline. Taliban forces will block Afghans trying to reach the Kabul airport, a Taliban spokesman said yesterday.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan represented the world’s third-largest humanitarian operation before this month’s crisis. United Nations and World Health Organization officials call for an immediate humanitarian “bridge” to get aid into the country before they run out of critical supplies:

“Conflict, displacement, drought, and the COVID-19 pandemic are all contributing to a complex and desperate situation in Afghanistan. Humanitarian agencies need to be supported and facilitated to meet the enormous and growing needs in Afghanistan, and make sure that no one dies unnecessarily due to lack of access to aid.”

Afghan Christians flee

Fear is tangible on the ground. “The Taliban has a hit list of known Christians they are targeting to kill. They are raiding houses and going through people’s phones to look for any Christian apps,” Heart4Iran’s Mike Ansari says.

“Afghan believers are in danger, and they are fleeing to the mountains. Many of them feel they have been abandoned.”

Heart4Iran has been broadcasting Gospel programs into Afghanistan since 2007 through its media division, Mohabat TV. “Many Afghans are familiar with Mohabat TV and regularly call and email us,” Ansari says.

“Since Kabul fell to the Taliban, we started going live into Afghanistan five days a week on social media and satellite T.V.”

Mohabat TV broadcasts include programming in Dari and Ḥazāra. An hour-long live program, Voice of Christ, reaches viewers each week with worship, news, Scripture, and more. Virtual Church gives Afghan Christians a safe place to connect with fellow “secret believers.”

How to help

Ansari says hundreds of Christ-followers in Afghanistan are reaching out to Heart4Iran’s team online, seeking prayer and help to access information:

Karim from Afghanistan emailed our team yesterday begging for prayer during this horrific time. His family is stuck in hiding, and they are desperate to flee to safety and find peace. He is just one of the hundreds of chats we have received this week from Christ-seekers in this nation, seeking peace from their fears and overall freedom in their homeland.

As we watch from afar, the best way to help is also the most powerful thing we can do – pray.

“Pray for God’s work to continue in Afghanistan and to protect the Church. Pray for Taliban zeal to be broken, to be replaced by humility and kindness,” Ansari requests. More ways to pray for Afghanistan here.

Send Bibles to Afghan refugees who escape to Iran. A $5,000 matching grant doubles the impact of every gift.

You can also send Bibles to Afghan refugees who escape to Iran. A $5,000 matching grant doubles the impact of every gift.

“There are many Christian and missionary organizations that have had boots on the ground since 2001. Ministries like Heart4Iran also invested a lot of resources to bring the Gospel to the region using digital media,” Ansari says.

Header and story images courtesy of Heart4Iran.