Daily Times

The leaders of the Afghan Taliban are set to attend a two-day conference (30 June-1 July 2024) in Doha-Qatar, to be hosted by the UN to facilitate and coordinate international cooperation with their country. Since UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres started the process in May 2023, this international conference will be the third with an emphasis on Afghanistan to take place in the capital of Qatar. The agenda items for the third Doha format conference include examining alternative revenue streams for poppy growers, assessing the impact of climate change on the country, and addressing banking and financial concerns in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan has served as the hub of hostilities, wars and bloodshed ever since the Soviet Union invaded the country in 1979. The Afghan economy has been adversely affected by civil conflicts, and the US-Afghan war, amounting to approximately $2 trillion in costs for the US. The situation deteriorated further following the US withdrawal in 2021, leading to escalating prices of food, medicine, and fuel. Today 22.8 million people are at risk of famine, and 3.2 million children suffer from malnutrition. The crisis is exacerbated by a prolonged drought, limited access to water, unpaid officials, insufficient fuel, and electricity, a collapsed healthcare system, suspension of Afghanistan’s Central Bank from the international system and the US government freezing $9.5 billion in assets. The UNDP Director for Asia and the Pacific, found that 69 percent of Afghans are subsistence insecure, with a 27 percent shrinking economy since the Taliban regained power. Unemployment has increased, with SMEs and farmers becoming the backbone of the struggling economy. The Taliban severely restricts women’s and girls’ access to work, dress code, and employment in various fields, with public sector employment dropping to 6 percent and girls not continuing education beyond sixth grade.

The UN estimates that 24.7 million people, more than half of Afghanistan’s population, will need humanitarian assistance this year.

A food crisis is looming, with 6.5 million children potentially facing emergency or crisis-level starvation by the end of the year. This is due to prolonged droughts, sporadic floods, and the influx of Afghan refugees from neighbouring countries. The combination of these factors has worsened the precarious food security situation in the region. Long-term droughts have desiccated agricultural lands, while sporadic floods have destroyed crops and infrastructure. The influx of Afghan refugees has further strained resources, placing immense pressure on Afghanistan’s food supplies and infrastructure. This crisis demands immediate and concerted action from the international community to prevent further suffering and loss of life. A study highlights the need for assistance as half of the population lives in poverty, citing this May’s flash floods and heavy rain causing over 400 deaths.

The country faces limited labour prospects and earnings due to economic stagnation and increased competition, worsened by the 600,000 Afghans returning from Pakistan and Iran since September 2023. The first wheat harvest began on schedule, but due to dry weather and floods, it went below normal. Family buying power remains low due to limited labour opportunities and poor earnings, but food access and market demand are constrained as usual.

Three years of drought, severe unemployment, and the homecoming of almost 1.4 million Afghans from Pakistan and Iran are having catastrophic effects on children. Almost half of the population needs aid, yet just 16 percent of the financing for the 2024 humanitarian response plan has been provided so far. These few of the many tattered elements that make up Afghanistan’s complex difficulties, yet they all together tell a story of great adversity and perseverance. Adversity in all its forms, dry crops, flooded homes, closed schools, and vacant job markets, illustrates the enormous difficulties Afghan families confront. However, this mosaic of pain also serves as a monument to the Afghan people’s unwavering spirit, which has allowed them to persevere even under the most trying circumstances.

It is crucial to realise that, despite the Taliban’s apparent illegitimacy and opposition to international recognition, the real focus of attention needs to be on the Afghan people, who are experiencing severe humanitarian crises, as the world prepares for the UN-hosted meeting on Afghanistan on June 30 in Doha. Despite political and diplomatic challenges surrounding the Taliban’s predicament, it is imperative to prioritise the urgent needs of the Afghan people. Across political lines, the suffering caused by floods, droughts, disrupted schooling, unemployment, and malnourishment in Afghan communities calls for a concerted response from the international community. The welfare and dignity of the Afghan people should come first, even though the political climate in Afghanistan may come up during the talks in Doha. The international community must come together to offer vital assistance, support, and solidarity to those most impacted by the continuing crises, regardless of the legitimacy of the ruling authority. The UN estimates that 24.7 million people, more than half of the population, will need humanitarian assistance this year. The UN has requested $3 billion to address the crisis but has received less than 3 percent of the required funds. Governments must support measures to normalize payments, restore public services, address poverty, and improve climate adaptation.

Let us remind delegates gathered in Doha that political complexities cannot overwhelm the misery of the Afghan people. World leaders must put aside their disagreements to focus on the humanitarian crisis and make sure that the needs and voices of the Afghan people are taken seriously and treated with the greatest care.

The writer is a PhD in Political Science, and visiting faculty at QAU Islamabad. His area of specialization is political development and social change. He can be reached at zafarkhansafdar@yahoo.com and tweet@zafarkhansafdar