The international world and the provisional Taliban dictatorship in Afghanistan appear to be working in opposite directions in the country. Aid is being sent to Afghanistan by international organisations and numerous countries to ensure that the country’s 23 million men, women, and children do not go hungry during the winter months. The Taliban, obviously unconcerned with earlier help, are pressing on with a plan that is at odds with that of the international world. International development funding fueled the Afghan economy at its finest. Since the Americans withdrew their soldiers, and humanitarian aid has taken its place. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), $1.6 billion in aid has already entered Afghanistan this year.
A second $1 billion in help has been offered by the European Union. Despite US sanctions, the United Nations and other organisations were granted licenses to provide humanitarian relief. Through aid organisations, India is delivering critical food and medical supplies. In the previous eight weeks, eight million people have received food aid, 200,000 people have received water, children have been treated for malnutrition, and a million more have been kept alive by medical supplies. According to UNOCHA, the country will require $4.5 billion to get through 2022. The rest of the world, on the other hand, is well aware that the Taliban’s IOUs are stacking up. They want worldwide recognition and promise to satisfy the world’s requirements, but until now, none have materialised.
The Taliban’s confidence appears to spring from the idea that the international community will not allow the humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan to spiral out of control, regardless of whether the Taliban keep their promises. How long can the Afghan situation remain in such a delicate balance? The Taliban is carrying out their strategy to deprive Afghan women of their rights in a methodical manner. They’ve lost their government jobs. They are unable to move freely outside of their houses. Girls are not allowed to attend classes unless gender segregation measures are implemented in universities. If women leave even their hands exposed, they risk being abused by vigilante Taliban fighters. The Taliban’s Vice-Prevention Ministry is now prohibiting women from travelling long distances alone.
Yes, both men and women are no longer allowed to listen to music in their cars. Despite this, the Taliban claim to be moderates rather than hardline Islamists. It’s past time to call the Taliban’s bluff on their systematic exclusion of democratic values from their ideology. The election commission and the electoral complaints commission have been abolished because they are “unnecessary.” As a result, their provisional government has become permanent. They’ve already abolished the Ministries of Peace and Parliamentary Affairs, claiming that they’re redundant. The Ministry of Women’s Affairs was the first to fall, as you may recall. When the Taliban approaches the UN for assistance next year, they must be made aware that the help is not a free pass to forgo their international obligations.
