Additional Context: This information was collected in June 2025 by Human Rights Watch, or HRW, in an interview with an editor of the outlet, who chose to remain anonymous.

Despite receiving a significant amount of funding from other governments and donors, the U.S. cuts meant that the organization was forced to lay off around half of their staff, leaving them with only a few journalists reporting from within Afghanistan. Training planned for 100 journalists, half of which were women, were cancelled, along with the financial and technical support for human rights reporting.

Devex Researcher Note: Freedom of press initiatives were supported by the U.S. government through USAID, the U.S. State Department, and the U.S. Agency for Global Media, or USAGM, among others. In Afghanistan, at least $39.9 million worth of grants toward training journalists, promoting female participation in the media, and supporting human rights reporting were terminated as the USAGM was "eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law."

Source: Human Rights Watch