The UN’s latest report on the Taliban shocked a lot of people. Apparently the US military campaign not only did NOT succeed, but now the Taliban is stronger than ever?
But it also didn’t shock a lot of people. The Taliban is a ruthless, evolving force embedded deep within the culture of Afghanistan. It’s hard to eradicate such a group without dealing with root issues. Plus, the breakdown of civil society caused by the invasion and the ensuing country-wide corruption during the rebuilding made the Taliban’s survival and eventual resurgence almost inevitable.
When the US army began its exit in 2011, the country crumbled further.
Currently, UN data reveals that the majority of the country is either under substantial, high or extreme threat from the Taliban.
In this time of civil unraveling, it’s helpful to consider how the Taliban’s strengthening grip on the country undermines efforts to reduce poverty.
Here’s a look at Afghan society through the 8 main issue areas that Global Citizen explores:
Girls & women
Under Taliban rule, women are banned from going to school or studying; banned from working; banned from leaving the house without a male chaperone; banned from showing their skin in public; banned from health care provided by a man (women can’t work,so….); banned from political activity and voicing of political opinions.
Basically, they’re denied a life. The Taliban understands that by holding girls and women hostage, it controls the evolution of society.
Education
One of the Taliban’s chief aims is to reduce the extent and influence of education in communities. The Taliban bombs school, terrorizes school children, terrorizes teachers and greatly limits what can be taught.
This hits girls the hardest as their is a strident rejection of female education in Taliban doctrine.
Although access to education greatly increased between 2001 to 2011, these advances are being jeopardized. In 2012 and 2013, just 36% of girls were enrolled in school.
But perhaps most stunning of all, adult literacy is just 28% in the country.
Health
Medical facilities are regularly attacked, causing a shortage of doctors and medical professionals. Under the Taliban, women are provided only the most rudimentary health care. Giving birth becomes much more hazardous, basic medicine and procedures become rare and women are incapable of monitoring their bodies.
Afghanistan has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world and the average life expectancy is only 60 years old.
Recently, a Doctors Without Borders facility in Kunduz was bombed by the US army, having been mistaken for the Taliban. This destroyed the only healthcare facility in a city just captured by the Taliban. Scores of people, including 12 doctors, were killed.
Finance & innovation
The Taliban is not friendly to an open economy. How often do you hear stories of bazaars, markets or stores being blown up?
Beyond this destruction, the Taliban keeps a tight grip on the economy in the regions it controls.
Afghanistan is still the largest opium producer in the world, partly because the Taliban coerces farmers to dedicate their land plots to its production and then sells the crop to gain a steady revenue stream and keep citizens from growing food for sustenance.
As the Council on Foreign Relations writes, “Taliban factions levy taxes, extort companies—including international military and development contractors—in protection rackets, exploit natural resources, and traffic opium poppy.”
Plus, the corruption that has plagued Afghanistan since the 2001 invasion is truly astonishing.
Since 2002, the US has spent $104 billion on rebuilding efforts, but a large portion of this was stolen by middlemen.
Former NPR correspondent Sarah Chayes believes that the endemic corruption is why so many Afghanis join the Taliban: if the government is rotten and extorts its people, then why not fight against it?
Food & hunger
55% of children under 5 suffer from chronic malnutrition in Afghanistan.
The heavy reliance on opium production prevents farmers from growing food and droughts further exacerbate the landlocked country’s food capacity.
The World Food Programme also identifies environmental degradation as a primary obstacle. “Environmental degradation is also a severe problem. War, uncontrolled grazing, pastureland encroachment, illegal logging and the loss of forest and grass cover have worsened drought conditions and reduced agricultural productivity.”
The result? A third of the population lives in borderline food insecurity.
Water & sanitation
47% of Afghanistan’s population needs improved access to water: dangerous levels of arsenic, fluoride and nitrate in water sources are common, according to UNICEF.
Many people, especially in rural areas, still do not understand the benefits of hand washing, which causes contagious diseases to spread.
Afghanistan and Pakistan--the two home turfs of the Taliban--are the only countries in the world with new cases of Polio--a disease which is mostly spread through water.
About 72% of the population still needs access to better sanitation. The construction of sanitation systems for schools, homes and communities has a long way to go. And the level of violence in the country is obviously not helping this type of long term systemic project.
Environment
Some of the environmental issues facing Afghanistan include deforestation, drought, water pollution, air pollution, overhunting and wildlife extinction.
The majority of the country depends on farming and herding and the wetlands that support these practices are being depleted by drought.
Back in 2003, mismanagement of water supplies and drought dried up 99% of wetlands. Sandstorms submerged more than a 100 villages.
The endless warfare also takes a huge toll on the environment.
An example of good environmental stewardship in Afghanistan
Citizenship
Corruption has eroded the institutions of civic society in Afghanistan and, as Sarah Chayes documents, faith in government has been seriously jeopardized.
The police force and army have been heavily hurt by the Taliban, the ability to operate schools and healthcare facilities has been compromised, while elections are seen as fraudulent by a lot of the population, especially after former President Karzai’s reign.
A police officer in Charchino told The New York Times, “We do not have any way to escape.”
People living in areas under the sway of the Taliban basically have no voice in public life. Also, there is zero freedom of press, arguably the single biggest marker of a free society.
The Taliban ruled Afghanistan from 1995 to 2001 and instituted harsh policies. While the US invasion destabilized the country, it also removed the Taliban from power for many years and kept them mostly subdued.
But a range of factors including widespread poverty made the ultimate defeat of the Taliban too elusive and now they are nearly back in power, seeking to reverse all the progress that has been made.
This is a tragic outcome. Since 2001, 2.6 million Afghans became refugees. About 92,000 civilians have been killed. The Taliban’s resurgence means these numbers will grow in the months and years to come.
Mohammad Ashraf Ghani was elected president in 2014, inheriting this horrendous situation.
The political change might be cause for optimism, however restrained. If his government receives more support from the global community, maybe the long chapter of corruption and violence can finally be closed and Afghanistan can resume its journey toward ending poverty.
You can go to TAKE ACTION NOW to call on world leaders to support girls education, which is many ways is the key to ending poverty.