Daily Times

Afghanistan’s Endless Quagmire. Afghanistan is at the brink of economic collapse despite having assets abroad. The economic quagmire of Afghanistan seems with no end even the Taliban rule has completed a year. Since the Taliban takeover in the mid of August last year, the humanitarian aid gone to cease by non-profit organizations and NATO countries. It is estimated that about 23 million people including children may go through severe starvation. Since the Taliban takeover America has withdrawn its investments from the market. Although a large proportion of these investments was either used as war expenses or used to fill the lockers of corrupt regime of Afghanistan but still the money remained in the market. During their early days, Taliban had to close the banking business due to some administrative issues, that closure put a great loss to the economy of the country. According to the statements of American officials, that they are ready for humanitarian aid but not through the hands of Taliban government. The Washington D.C would only recognize the Taliban government only if they uphold the human rights and would make an inclusive government.

The unprecedented cutting off the donation funds have made the crises more dreadful than ever before. Building an aid dependent economy and then dramatically withdrawing the donations, is more than pathetic. Surely this would not be punishing the Taliban group but jeopardizing the lives of millions of Afghan people, including children and old. The economy of Afghanistan in the past two decades has been dependent on the funds of NATO, but now it’s very hard for the people and for the government to face the sudden economic catastrophe, that has been taking place since August 2021.

The dispensation of little local economic sources amongst people of different departments has made it starker to tackle the economic crises for the Taliban regime. The economic deprivation of the Afghan people from their own money is more than inhumane. The ever looming crises of Afghanistan and the criminal silence of world are in competition to see, which factor annihilate Afghan people.

The economic strangulation of Afghanistan would give rise to one of the greatest man made crises in human history ever recorded, throwing millions of lives in unthinkable loss. Recent earthquake has made things more difficult and dreadful. People of Afghanistan are in the dire need of help from the developed countries. The SOS call from the people of Afghanistan should be alarming for the world, advocating the human rights. When the Taliban ceased the power in mid of August last year, the world was fearing about the human rights but by having a fair assessment, we could see that the world itself is creating deliberate humanitarian crises in Afghanistan. This behavior of world is more than the violation of human rights. The humanitarian crises in Afghanistan needs to be addressed and mitigated at urgent basis. This should be done beyond political interests.

The humanitarian crises in Afghanistan can only be diverted by engagement of non-profit organizations, international community and by unfreezing their frozen foreign reserves above all. The role of China and Russia may surplus the ease regarding humanitarian and economic crises. The economy of Pakistan is already sinking, but now the government of Pakistan has to strive for the economic betterment of Afghanistan. It’s a twofold heavy task for government of Pakistan. The Afghan government can’t talk on any international forum like United Nations and World Economic Forum. The seats of Afghanistan, are allotted to the previous government but the point is that the United Nations must give the office of Afghanistan to the current government of Taliban, because they have the writ of state all over the country. On every week United Nations and the State Department of the United States publish reports on the humanitarian crises in Afghanistan but not ready to help the people. One can suppose that the world helps the Afghan People to get through these challenging times but this help can’t be permanent. Until when the government and the people of Afghanistan, would rely on the charities of the other countries. Late or sooner, the world would have to recognize the Taliban government and to unfreeze their own assets. The behavior of the world is biased. In tearing and looting Afghanistan, every country has done its part but now no one is ready to help the people of war torn country. The humanity should be kept ahead of the political objectives. I have contacted an Afghan student through social media and inquired about the current political and economic situations of Afghanistan. The conditions according to him were much more concerning than ever before. The starving people, empty pockets of impoverished people, ever increasing inflation and day by day worsening education infrastructure are more than enough to pull out practical initiatives to avert the crises. Afghanistan’s Endless Quagmire!

The author is undergraduate in International Relations from School of Politics and International Relations, Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad.

He can be reached @meerhamayoun1