Afghanistan’s political and humanitarian crisis has deteriorated since the arrival of the Taliban in August 2021. Several major actors, including UN agencies and large INGOs have now reached a point where they can no longer operate in the country in the current environment. This situation is taking a heavy toll on civilians. What can be done to mitigate the risk of escalation and promote cooperation between the different parties involved?
The Taliban’s war against Afghan women
To begin, despite initial promises and claims that its new government would not discriminate against women, the Taliban have issued directives after directives restricting women’s freedom and access to their fundamental rights. The ban on formal education beyond the sixth grade for girls, as well as two new directives that ban women’s employment for international organisations, including INGOs and UN agencies has sparked worldwide outrage.
Several INGOs, including the Norwegian Refugee Council, Care International and Save the Children suspended operations in Afghanistan, stating that they cannot reach the millions of children, women and men in need of assistance without their front-line female staff, not a few hundred but thousands of female staff. The UN is also prepared for the “heart-breaking decision to withdraw from Afghanistan.
Several coalitions and campaigns have also been formed in response, with End Gender Apartheid being one of the most prominent movements that have emerged to fight against this injustice. Gender apartheid is defined as a set of practises that condemn girls and women to separate and subordinate sub-existence, while making boys and men the permanent guardians of their female relatives.
International policies have led to an economic warfare
At the same time, the political and economic policies of international actors have led to a severe economic crisis and further destabilised the country. As soon as the Taliban were brought into power for the second time, all diplomatic delegations evacuated. Therefore, only a limited number of diplomatic missions were left to conduct negotiations and represent the priorities and interests of humanitarian aid donors and vulnerable populations in the country.
To make things even worse, the government of United States and the European Union, cut off foreign aid which, according to the World Bank, accounted for 40 percent of Afghanistan’s GDP. The US government froze Afghanistan’s U.S. bank reserves, causing the entire banking system to fail and forcing the entire population to rely on humanitarian aid. According to a recent UNICEF report, the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance has surpassed 22 million, with children accounting for over 15 millions of this population.
In response to this catastrophe, several initiatives such as the United Against Inhumanity (UAI), campaign, Unfreeze Afghanistan a coalition of American and Afghan women, and Emergency in Italy, have called for the lifting of sanctions, arguing that it is not achieving their intended political goals. These assets belong to the people of Afghanistan, who had no say in the Taliban’s return to power. According to the UN High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet, “it is unacceptable and unconscionable that the people of Afghanistan have had to live with the prospects of either bombing or starvation, or both.”
“Negative voicers” divert attention
To make matters worse, several small but powerful groups of Afghan women and men among the newly generated diaspora, who lost their wealth and influence after the Taliban came to power, are pleading with Western governments to tighten sanctions even further. They believe it is the only way to exert pressure on the Taliban to yield and establish an inclusive government, allowing them to reclaim their power and position.
Some members of these groups advocate for upholding democracy and elections, even though previous elections have been plagued by allegations of bribery, vote-buying, multiple voting, and voter intimidation. Others in these groups, despite being aware of the terrible consequences of decades of armed conflict, also advocate for a military response and aim to persuade the US and its allies to pursue this. According to the Costs of War Project, the past two decades of war in Afghanistan killed 176,000 people: 46,319 civilians, 69,095 military and police and at least 52,893 opposition fighters.
The actions of these groups divert attention away from Afghan voices within the country. Afghan people who are working to engage the Taliban regime and make it more politically inclusive through networks of both contemporary and traditional councils, including many women and men leaders. These are groups and individuals sowing the seeds of an alternative to the legacy of the war, but they are not present or being heard in international forums.
Three ways to mitigate the risk of escalation and save lives in Afghanistan
- The UK and EU need to resume diplomatic relations in Afghanistan. Delegations from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation are also required in the country. Diplomatic efforts are urgently needed to engage the Taliban’s political leadership and help change the status quo. Negotiating access to vulnerable populations and delivering aid necessitate a variety of competencies and skills that humanitarian actors cannot provide on their own.
- An independent and international monitoring mechanism needs to be set up to allow the central bank of Afghanistan to access its foreign assets and frozen reserve. This is crucial to save lives. The association UAI has proposed concrete measures to monitor the process.
- Third, and most importantly, Afghanistan requires an independent conflict mediation process capable of involving all key stakeholders, including women, youth on the ground, various non-state actors at the sub-national levels, Taliban leadership, and international actors, in order to find solutions. It is critical that all parties involved prioritise the Afghan people’s well-being and work towards a peaceful and long-term solution. The success of this process will be dependent on international cooperation and support.
Mezhgan Temory is a doctoral researcher at IDS. Her analysis is based on her extensive experience working in Afghanistan, as well as her ongoing observation and direct engagement with people on the ground.
