Every day in Afghanistan, people are starving. Afghanistan is on the verge of famine and economic collapse, which is not likely to get better any time soon. People are dying and suffering due to poverty and starvation. Millions of Afghans are on the verge of death. All foreign aid and international financial connections to Afghanistan were cut off. “For Afghans, daily life has become a frozen hell,” states António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General. Why? The new political regime of the country, the Taliban.
Afghanistan’s history with the Taliban
The Taliban took control of Afghanistan almost a year ago, and the country’s existing problems have worsened as a result of this. The Taliban is an Islamic fundamentalist group, and they have ruled Afghanistan in the past. They ruled the country from 1996 to 2001 until the US invasion. After twenty years, in 2021, they regained control after attacking the US-backed government located in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. They gained control over the most influential cities of Afghanistan, including the capital. So, the US withdrew its troops from Afghanistan as per a peace agreement that was signed by them with the Taliban. There were four parts to the peace agreement, and each elaborated on each of the conditions that were involved in the agreement.
The situation in Afghanistan is worsening as each day passes, and it is even harder to get assistance there due to the harsh weather conditions.
How are the people of Afghanistan reacting to the issue?
They’re fleeing. People are starving because they don’t have money to buy food. People are fleeing to neighboring countries, mainly Iran, through one of two migration routes into the country. It’s estimated that, according to aid organizations, 4,000 – 5,000 people are entering Iran every day. This number is increasing exponentially as it has increased by a factor of four since last year. The border was a lifeline for them because it had work, money, and food to eat. Many flee not only due to the current economic crisis. They also fleed because of fear of being ruled by the Taliban in the long run. However, fleeing the country is hard to pull off. People can’t escape due to Taliban patrols near the border. The US took out their troops, so the Taliban took control. Because of this, Afghanistan is now in a serious economic condition. People have tried crossing the border illegally, but most are arrested and sent back to Afghanistan. They fear the Iranian border guards, but they are also determined to escape Afghanistan. The European Union has pledged over one billion dollars in humanitarian aid for Afghanistan as well as countries that are providing asylum for them.
So, what can the US do to help out?
There are many options that we can put forth. Firstly, we could try to find ways to pay the salaries of healthcare workers, teachers, and other essential service providers. One good thing that we’ve done so far is that we’ve welcomed 74,000 Afghan refugees into our borders. Afghan refugees will continue to be welcomed into the US through normal immigration and resettlement pathways. Here, in the US, refugees can look for jobs to support themselves and their families financially and enroll their children in school. One concern is the nationwide housing shortage and, of course, the coronavirus which continues to delay access to healthcare and other services.
Thank you for reading, and I hope you have a great rest of your day!
Works Cited
“Afghanistan’s Tumbling Currency Compounds Economic Crisis.” Www.aljazeera.com, 17 Dec. 2021, www.aljazeera.com/economy/2021/12/17/afghanistans-tumbling-currency-adds-to-severe-economic-woes.
Byrd, William. “How to Mitigate Afghanistan’s Economic and Humanitarian Crises.” United States Institute of Peace, 4 Jan. 2022, www.usip.org/publications/2022/01/how-mitigate-afghanistans-economic-and-humanitarian-crises.
“Crisis in Afghanistan: Unprecedented Hunger after the Conflict.” International Rescue Committee (IRC), 7 Jan. 2022, www.rescue.org/article/crisis-afghanistan-unprecedented-hunger-after-conflict.
Goldbaum, Christina, et al. “Over a Million Flee as Afghanistan’s Economy Collapses.” The New York Times, 2 Feb. 2022, www.nytimes.com/2022/02/02/world/asia/afghanistan-migration-refugees.html.
Press, The Associated. “The United Nations Says Afghanistan’s Economy Is Collapsing ‘before Our Eyes.’” NPR, 10 Dec. 2021, www.npr.org/2021/12/10/1062946434/the-united-nations-says-afghanistans-economy-is-collapsing-before-our-eyes. Accessed 15 Mar. 2022.
“What Is next for Afghans Who Fled to the United States?” International Rescue Committee (IRC), 16 Feb. 2022, www.rescue.org/article/what-next-afghans-who-fled-united-states.