Leslie Massey
Life in Afghanistan is extremely challenging. The country has been ravaged by decades of conflict and political upheaval, with the Taliban's extreme interpretation of Islamic law and use of fear and intimidation to govern the country. The economy is in tatters, with food insecurity, a hunger crisis, and a lack of economic opportunities for most Afghans. The situation is especially difficult for women, who are denied equal access to education and employment, and public life. Access to healthcare and education has expanded in some areas due to the work of international aid groups, but harsh punishments, torture, and imprisonment are still common for minor infringements. The future remains uncertain for Afghanistan, with no clear path towards political reconstruction and international recognition.
What You'll Learn
Food insecurity and economic crisis
Afghanistan is facing a severe economic crisis, with the nation's economy collapsing as cash disappears. The country has been cut off from central bank reserves and government aid, and the nation of 38 million faces food shortages that could trigger a refugee exodus. The economic crisis has been caused by a multitude of factors, including conflict, population displacement, civil unrest, armed group activity, recurring natural disasters, and the recent Taliban takeover.
The economic crisis has led to severe food insecurity, with the World Food Programme reporting that over half of Afghanistan's 30 million people live below the poverty line, and 11 million Afghans are acutely and severely food insecure. The situation is especially dire for women and children, with limited access to education and employment opportunities. The Taliban's restrictions on women's rights and freedom of movement have further exacerbated the issue.
The economic crisis has also resulted in a lack of access to basic healthcare and other essential services. The malnutrition rate is increasing, and the healthcare system is on the brink of collapse. The World Health Organization has reported that almost 20 million people are suffering from either crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity. Acute malnutrition is widespread, and children are at risk of dying from prolonged acute malnutrition.
The international community has provided some humanitarian aid and support, but the situation remains dire. The Taliban's failure to address the economic crisis and their restrictions on women's rights have led to international sanctions and a lack of recognition for the Taliban government. The future of Afghanistan remains uncertain, with the threat of stagnation looming large.
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Lack of access to education for girls
Afghanistan has been devastated by over three decades of conflict, and the country's education system has suffered greatly as a result. Insecurity, government inaction, and donor disengagement have all contributed to the current situation, in which an estimated two-thirds of Afghan girls do not attend school.
In some parts of the country, a shortage of schools and insufficient transportation are the main obstacles to education. Geographical barriers, especially in mountainous areas, also make it difficult for children to reach classrooms. The socio-political and humanitarian crises that Afghanistan faces also critically affect the fragile education system. Natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, and landslides further exacerbate the situation, raising parental concerns about safety and preventing them from sending their children to school.
In addition to these issues, certain sociocultural factors and traditional beliefs also undermine girls' education. Girls continue to marry very young, with 17% marrying before their 15th birthday. Girls are often kept at home due to discriminatory attitudes that do not value or permit their education. A third of girls marry before the age of 18, and once engaged or married, many girls are compelled to drop out of school.
Afghanistan's government provides fewer schools for girls than boys at both the primary and secondary levels. In half of the country's provinces, fewer than 20% of teachers are female, which presents a major barrier for the many girls whose families will not accept their being taught by a man, especially as they become adolescents. About 41% of schools have no buildings, and many lack boundary walls, water, and toilets, which disproportionately affects girls.
The Taliban's return to power in 2021 has further exacerbated the situation. The group has imposed strict rules prohibiting female and male students from studying together and requiring that only women can teach female students and only men can teach male students. This has particularly harmful consequences in higher education, where it shuts students off from the specialized expertise of professors of a different gender. The Taliban has also imposed curriculum changes, removing subjects like sports, civics, and culture, and increasing the number of hours devoted to religious study.
The international community has condemned the Taliban's actions and called for the immediate reversal of the ban on girls' education. However, as of March 2023, schools for girls above the sixth grade remain closed. The consequences of this ban are enormous, with rates of child marriage and child labor increasing, as well as reports of children being medicated to overcome hunger and even dying from malnutrition.
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Public beatings and executions
Public beatings and lashings are often carried out as punishments for moral crimes or violations of the Taliban's strict interpretation of Islamic law. For example, individuals may be beaten or lashed for possessing the wrong SIM card, drinking alcohol, or engaging in homosexual intercourse. In one case, a teacher was beaten with a tree branch and threatened with lynching after being accused of adultery. In another instance, a woman and a man were each publicly lashed 100 times for committing adultery.
Public executions are also common, with convicts being hanged, shot, or stoned to death. These executions are generally reserved for serious crimes or "heinous crimes" such as mass murders. In December 2022, the Taliban carried out the first public execution since seizing power, executing a man convicted of murder in front of a crowd in a sports stadium. This was followed by another public execution in June 2023, where a man identified as Ajmal was executed by a relative of one of his victims.
The Taliban's use of public beatings and executions has been widely criticised by human rights organisations and the international community. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has documented numerous instances of these punishments, urging the Taliban to abolish such practices. The United States and NATO-led International Security Assistance Force have also condemned these acts, emphasising the need to protect women's rights and ensure justice in Afghanistan.
Despite the criticism and calls for change, the Taliban has defended its use of public beatings and executions, claiming that they are necessary to prevent infractions and maintain control. The future of these practices remains uncertain, but as long as the Taliban remains in power and refuses to compromise on its interpretation of Islamic law, public beatings and executions are likely to persist.
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Poor healthcare access
Afghanistan's healthcare system has been described as being on the brink of collapse, with the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) warning of an imminent humanitarian catastrophe. The situation is the result of a combination of factors, including conflict, poverty, food insecurity, and a lack of international funding.
Funding Cuts
Since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, major funding for the country's healthcare system has been withdrawn. Previously funded by the World Bank, the European Commission, and USAID, there are now serious challenges to continuing these vital primary healthcare services. The funding cuts have forced health providers to decide "who to save and who to let die", according to the WHO Director-General.
Access to Healthcare
Access to primary healthcare, particularly for women and children, remains a major concern in Afghanistan. Restrictions on women's movements without a male chaperone have reduced access to healthcare services. Afghanistan has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world, and thousands of women die every year from pregnancy-related causes, many of which are preventable.
Shortage of Healthcare Workers
The decades of conflict in Afghanistan have resulted in a shortage of healthcare workers, with many doctors and nurses having left the country. This has led to a lack of access to basic healthcare services, particularly in rural areas.
Impact of Conflict
The physical and psychological effects of war have substantially increased the need for medical care in Afghanistan. Terrorist attacks and violent clashes are still common, and the country's infrastructure, including its healthcare system, has been left in ruins.
Malnutrition and Food Insecurity
Poverty and food insecurity continue to affect the health of Afghans, with nearly 20 million people in need of food assistance. Food insecurity also contributes to increased malnutrition and child and maternal mortality.
COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the challenges facing Afghanistan's healthcare system. Vaccination rates have decreased, and there are reports that cold chain medical storage has been compromised.
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Poor infrastructure
Afghanistan's infrastructure was largely destroyed during the Soviet invasion, civil conflicts after 1979, and poor maintenance since then. During these 30 years of conflict, virtually no development happened in this sector, and so it now faces a substantial infrastructural deficit.
The country's power generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure were severely disrupted by conflict. What remained was stretched far beyond capacity, and more than 90% of the population had no access to electricity. In 2009, with the help of the Asian Development Bank and the Indian Government, electricity began to flow into Kabul along a newly constructed transmission line from neighbouring Uzbekistan.
The availability of secure energy supplies in Afghanistan was significantly disrupted by conflict. Reliable, affordable electricity is vitally important to Afghan economic growth, prosperity, and stability. The energy infrastructure continues to be a priority for the US and other donor nations.
Afghanistan's highways, many constructed by international donors, are not fully connected and are deteriorating at an untenable rate. Aviation is limited due to a lack of adherence to international standards, and rail is almost non-existent.
The country's distance to a seaport is more than 2,000km, one of the longest national distances reported. The country's strategy to connect to other countries and a seaport was to build the 2,210km Ring Road, which connects South Asia, including India and Pakistan, and Iran to Central Asia. According to Afghanistan's RECCA VI 2015 report, since 2001, the government and donors have built around 9,200km of road, but due to limited attention to road maintenance, about 85% of Afghanistan's roads are in poor condition.
The poor state of roads makes travel time-consuming and punishing for both vehicles and passengers. The 100-mile drive from Kabul to Bamyan took about eight hours. The main routes to Kabul and Herat through the central provinces were single-lane dirt tracks in extreme states of disrepair.
The dream of a nationwide rail network remains remote. Small-scale projects sponsored by neighbouring countries require different rail gauges, matching those of the countries these projects border. The enforcement of a single rail gauge is not practical since it would fail to make connections with at least half of Afghanistan's neighbours. The Afghan government must obtain funding and build gauge-changing stations if it is serious about connecting Afghanistan's major population centres and industrial areas by train.
The country's national airline, Ariana, operates domestic and international routes, but civil aviation has been expanding rapidly, and several private airlines now offer an alternative to Ariana and operate a domestic and international route network.
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Frequently asked questions
Life in Afghanistan can be dangerous due to the presence of insurgent groups such as the Taliban and the self-declared Islamic State, who frequently carry out attacks. Additionally, there is a high level of poverty, food insecurity, and a lack of economic opportunities, which can lead to hardship for many Afghans.
The Taliban imposes strict interpretations of Islamic law, which include harsh punishments for minor infringements and a denial of equal access to education and employment for women and girls. This has led to a deterioration in security and economic conditions, with many countries imposing sanctions on the Taliban government.
Living conditions vary greatly in Afghanistan. While some Afghans can afford modern amenities and leisure activities, the vast majority live in poverty and struggle to survive. Many Afghans are unable to find work or earn meager salaries, making it difficult to support themselves and their families.
