Four months after taking over Kabul and toppling the previous government, the Taliban are facing a range of difficulties as they try to govern Afghanistan.
According to a UN report, the Taliban are hunting down people who were associated with NATO and US forces. The report says that the Taliban have names of individuals and are searching for them house by house, sometimes with the help of other civilians. One of the victims was a relative of a Deutsche Welle journalist who was on their list.
The country is also on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe, as millions of people are in need of food and medical aid. The UN says that more than half of the population, or 23 million people, require humanitarian assistance to survive. The country also suffers from a lack of basic services, such as electricity, water, sanitation and health care. The UN has asked for more than $600 million in aid to meet the urgent needs of the Afghan people.
The world is split on how to approach the Taliban and the crisis in Afghanistan. Some countries, such as Turkey, have shown willingness to work with the Taliban on issues such as education and security. Others, such as the US and the EU, have set conditions for recognizing and engaging with the Taliban, such as respecting human rights, forming an inclusive government and preventing terrorism.
The Taliban have also met resistance from local forces and protesters who reject their rule. In some provinces, such as Panjshir, anti-Taliban fighters have continued to fight against the Taliban’s advances. In several cities, such as Kabul, Herat and Mazar-i-Sharif, people have marched on the streets to demand freedom, democracy and women’s rights. The Taliban have reacted with violence and oppression, killing and injuring dozens of protesters and journalists.
The future of Afghanistan is unclear, as the Taliban struggle to establish their legitimacy and authority, while the Afghan people suffer from the consequences of the conflict and the crisis. The world faces a dilemma on how to balance its humanitarian and security interests, while respecting the aspirations and rights of the Afghan people.