The Humanitarian Crisis in Afghanistan
The efficiency of the Taliban’s rapid gain in control over Afghanistan in August 2021 caught many by surprise. The insurgent group initially promised to ensure the provision of basic human rights to the citizens, however, people in Afghanistan are struggling to make ends meet and the standard of living is waning. A lack of health facilities, a floundering economy, and a scarcity of resources have resulted in Afghanistan facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. A 2022 United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report on Afghanistan stated that almost all Afghans are living in poverty.
According to the World Food Programme (WFP), an estimated 92% of the population in Afghanistan is facing food insecurity and approximately 3 million children will face acute malnutrition in the near future. Around 20 million people in Afghanistan are currently classified under either a 'Level-3 crisis' or 'Level-4 emergency' in terms of food insecurity, as designated by the Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) framework, which identifies five distinct severity levels of food insecurity. The situation has deteriorated to the extent that an estimated 28.3 million people—2/3rd of the population—will require urgent humanitarian assistance for survival in 2023.
Taliban rule has therefore posed a major threat to human rights in Afghanistan and the situation appears to be getting worse with each passing day. Despite promises to respect human rights and form an inclusive government, little has been done. Instead, incidents of egregious human rights abuses have continued to increase. Persecution of minority groups, arbitrary detentions, clamping down on activist movements, and extrajudicial killings have seen a surge. The civil and political rights enshrined in the state’s constitution are no longer guaranteed. Women in Afghanistan are subject to severe oppression with basic human rights not being provided. It has become challenging for Afghan female aid workers to perform their duties. Those working in local and international NGOs have been arrested which according to UNDP could cost Afghanistan's GDP by up to 5%.
The Taliban’s government has imposed a ban on girls' education and prohibited their access to secondary schools and universities. In response to criticism from the international community, Taliban leaders stated that a “safe learning environment” is required before girls could continue their education. Around 1,518 cases of violence against women were reported in 2022 and the percentage of early child marriages has also seen a visible rise after the Taliban took charge. Parents are under pressure to force their daughters to marry because of the fear that their daughters will otherwise be compelled to marry one of the Taliban fighters.
Women in Afghanistan are denied their right to representation in parliament. Before the Taliban took charge of Afghanistan, 27% of the parliament and 21% of the defence council members were female and there were around 265 female judges. However, Taliban control has deprived women of such representation and presently no woman is working as a minister in Afghanistan and even the Ministry of Women’s Affairs has been demolished.
The Taliban government has also restricted people’s right to the freedom of the press and curtailed their access to information as around 200 news organisations have been shut down since August 2021. Massive crackdowns on civil rights activist movements are evident. In September 2022, in Kabul, around 100 women who stood up for their rights and demanded inclusion in the new government were brutally dispersed by the Taliban.
As per UN reports, the number of internally displaced Afghans reached over 820,000 in June 2022. United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reported that former Afghan National Security Forces members have been subject to mass executions and forced disappearances by the Taliban. A report by Freedom House has found out that under the Taliban’s repressive rule, 90% of Afghan human rights defenders have faced severe violence and psychological torture.
The future will remain bleak unless necessary actions are undertaken. During the presidential government of Afghanistan, the human rights situation was deemed unsatisfactory, with women being subjected to gender-based discrimination. Nevertheless, the current circumstances suggest that the situation has significantly deteriorated, surpassing the level of severity previously experienced. This underscores the urgent need for concerted efforts towards promoting and safeguarding human rights in Afghanistan. Chapter two of the 2004 Constitution of Afghanistan had a bill of rights enshrined in it which ensured people's right to life, liberty, and fair trial, but ever since the Taliban took over Afghanistan, the situation is not very hopeful. Yamini Mishra, Amnesty International’s South Asia Regional Director stated: “A year ago, the Taliban made public commitments to protect and promote human rights. Yet the speed with which they are dismantling 20 years of human rights gains is staggering. Any hopes of change have quickly evaporated as the Taliban seek to govern through violent repression with full impunity.”
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) reports annually on 20 humanitarian crises that are expected to worsen in the future. In its 2023 report, IRC has put Afghanistan in the third spot considering the prevailing violence, poverty, and hunger, indicating that the response time is limited. Many states and international organisations, therefore, step forward to help people in need. The UN has launched a ‘Humanitarian Response Plan’ under which it requested around $4.6 billion for providing assistance to Afghanistan in 2023. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) provided over 4.3 million people in Afghanistan with essential medical supplies. Around $3 billion in humanitarian assistance was provided by G7 countries to Afghanistan in 2022. The US has also played a major role and since August 2021, it has sent around $1.1 Billion to respond to the human rights crisis in Afghanistan. The European Union (EU) has supported Afghanistan by delivering 34 tonnes of food and medical supplies in 2021 and by providing humanitarian assistance worth €174 million in 2022.
Only an inclusive government can ensure long-lasting peace and can overcome the situation of gross inequality in the state of Afghanistan. Girls should be allowed access to quality education, and restrictions on their mobility and employment should be lifted. Afghanis should be guaranteed their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful association, and all unjust actions, including torture, forced abduction, inhumane punishments, and extrajudicial killings, must end.