Mending Afghanistan: Navigating Challenges For A Stable Future

Afghanistan has been in a state of conflict for decades, with the US and its allies invading the country in 2001 to topple the Taliban government and destroy al-Qaeda training camps. The Taliban had provided safe haven to al-Qaeda, who were responsible for the 9/11 attacks on the US.

Since then, the US has been involved in a counterinsurgency campaign against the Taliban, with the goal of preventing Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for terrorists and to prevent the destabilisation of Pakistan. However, the Taliban has made significant gains in recent years, and in 2021, the US withdrew its troops from the country, leading to the Taliban retaking control.

The current situation in Afghanistan is a humanitarian crisis, with millions of Afghans requiring urgent humanitarian assistance. The country is also facing economic collapse, with the suspension of foreign aid causing the economy to spiral downward. The Taliban's rule has also led to human rights violations, with girls being denied schooling and women being forced to cover their faces in public.

To fix Afghanistan, the international community needs to provide humanitarian aid to the country and its refugees, as well as address the economic collapse and human rights violations.

The Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan has led to a regression and reversion of any gains in liberal and democratic rights and freedoms over the last 20 years

The Taliban's takeover has also wiped out gains in Afghans' standards of living that were made over the two decades after the US invasion, according to the UNDP. In an October 2022 report, the agency said that almost all Afghans were living in poverty. The economy has shrunk by up to 30% since the takeover, and an estimated 700,000 jobs have been lost. More than 90% of the population has been suffering from some form of food insecurity.

The Taliban's takeover has also led to a regression in freedom of expression. The Taliban has intimidated journalists and restricted press freedoms, leading to the closures of more than 200 news organizations. The Taliban has violently cracked down on demonstrations, and protesters and activists have been monitored and forcibly disappeared.

The Taliban's strict laws have barred girls from secondary schools, required women to have a male-relative companion when traveling significant distances, and forced them to cover their faces in public

The Taliban's strict interpretation of Sharia law has resulted in numerous restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan. One of the most well-known and controversial of these is the requirement for women to cover themselves completely, including their faces, when in public. This rule, which was in force during the Taliban's previous rule from 1996 to 2001, means that women must wear a burqa when they leave their homes and are forbidden from appearing on balconies or in public gardens.

The Taliban has also barred girls from receiving an education past primary school. In 2022, the Taliban government prohibited university education for women and shut down beauty salons, blocking women's entry into gyms and parks. This has had a significant impact on women's employment opportunities and their ability to provide for their families. The Taliban has also banned the photographing, filming, and displaying of pictures of women and girls in public spaces, further restricting their visibility and participation in society.

Another restriction imposed by the Taliban is the requirement for women to have a male chaperone when travelling more than 45 miles (70 km). This rule, known as the "mahram", means that women are not allowed to be in direct contact with males other than close blood relatives, their husbands, or in-laws. The Taliban's rules also extend to dictating how women should behave in public, including not wearing high-heeled shoes and not speaking loudly, to prevent strangers from hearing their voices.

These laws have had a significant impact on the lives of women and girls in Afghanistan, severely limiting their freedom of movement, education, and employment opportunities. They have also faced international condemnation, with the United Nations suggesting that the Taliban's treatment of women may amount to gender apartheid. Despite this, the Taliban's supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, has rejected any criticism and remains steadfast in his commitment to the "Islamic system" of governance.

The Taliban has also reintroduced public floggings, amputations, and mass executions

The Taliban has reintroduced public floggings, amputations, and mass executions in Afghanistan. The United Nations has called on the Taliban to immediately halt these practices, which violate universal principles prohibiting torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The Taliban has also been urged to establish a moratorium on the death penalty and guarantee a fair trial and due process in accordance with international standards.

Afghans are also suffering from cascading and compounding humanitarian crises and face the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, according to the United Nations

Afghans are facing a multitude of challenges, including a lack of access to basic services, food insecurity, and economic collapse. The United Nations launched the largest single-country aid appeal in its history to finance humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan in January 2022. By March 2022, 95% of Afghan households did not have enough to eat, and more than 3.5 million children were in need of nutrition treatment support. By August 2022, six million people were "on the brink of famine." Climate change, which has increased the frequency and intensity of natural disasters and extreme weather, has elevated the population's exposure to food shortages, with searing heatwaves and flash flooding destroying crops and arable land. Afghans have also seen food prices soar as a result of the Russia-Ukraine war.

The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has also been exacerbated by an economy on the verge of collapse and international isolation. Sanctions and the termination of significant development aid have crippled the Afghan economy. The revocation of the country's central bank's credentials halted all basic banking transactions and drastically restricted critical cash flow relied on by Afghan families for daily market activities. Furthermore, skyrocketing inflation has meant an over 50% increase in the price of goods from July 2021 to June 2022. Obtaining external assistance to contend with domestic economic havoc is complicated by the West's reticence to work with the Taliban government over concerns that doing so would bolster the regime's legitimacy. Despite the humanitarian exceptions issued by the United Nations, the United States, and other countries that have imposed sanctions on Afghanistan since the Taliban usurped power, the country remains starved of assistance.

The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has also been exacerbated by an economy on the verge of collapse and international isolation

The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has been exacerbated by an economy on the verge of collapse and international isolation. The country's economy has been in a downward spiral since the Taliban takeover in August 2021, with a sharp decline in international grants, loss of access to overseas assets, and a drop in investment confidence. The freezing of Afghanistan's foreign exchange reserves and foreign banks' reluctance to do business with the country have also contributed to the economic crisis. The country is experiencing food insecurity, with more than half of the population facing insufficient food consumption and acute malnutrition. The situation has been worsened by the Taliban's restrictions on women, which have had a devastating impact on households where women were the sole or main earners. The Taliban's ban on opium production could further shock the economy and worsen the humanitarian crisis.

The international community has provided sanction waivers to international agencies and NGOs to meet basic needs such as food, education, and healthcare. The World Bank, for instance, has provided over $1.7 billion in support to the Afghan people. However, the money is not enough to address the crisis. The collapsing banking system has become dysfunctional, and the country's cash-based dollarized economy is suffering from a liquidity crisis. International sanctions have also tightly regulated international transactions, making it difficult for the country to receive external financing.

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