Don't stop international aid to Afghanistan, pleads Taliban

Kabul – The interim Prime Minister chosen by the Taliban was forced to appeal to Afghanistan. Afghanistan has reached a stage of bankruptcy. In this situation, the international community should not stop the financial aid to Afghanistan. The United States also should release the frozen Afghan funds of $9.5 billion. Along with this, the interim Prime Minister of Afghanistan has also assured that the Taliban will never interfere with the internal matters of any country in his first public speech. It is evident from this appeal made by Mulla Akhund that the Taliban finds it difficult to run the government.

In the three months since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, the country’s economy has hit rock bottom. Moreover, Afghanistan has been hit by the world’s worst humanitarian catastrophe. The United States, the European Union, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and other financial institutions have frozen aid to Afghanistan. Under the Taliban regime, Afghanistan has broken away from the world banking system and faces dire consequences.

Afghanistan is facing severe food and fuel shortages due to the suspension of international aid. Besides, the prices of food grains available in the market have skyrocketed. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that 3.2 million children in Afghanistan could face starvation by the end of this year. Afghanistan is currently experiencing a cash crunch and businesses, including banks, are closing down.

The United Nations Development Program has warned that 97% of Afghanistan’s population will be below the poverty line by June next year. Citing this, the United Nations has called on the international community to help Afghans.

A few weeks ago, the United States and the European Union announced a fund of $1.29 billion in aid to Afghanistan. But it will be used for Afghans displaced in Afghanistan and Afghans who have migrated to neighbouring countries. Therefore, the Taliban regime will not benefit in any way from this.

The European Union (EU) has said it would not recognize the Taliban regime, even if it has decided to aid Afghans. Other countries are also considering providing direct assistance to the Afghan people rather than funding the Taliban. In such a scenario, Taliban Prime Minister Mullah Akhund has called on the international community to help Afghanistan, saying it wants good relations with all countries. At the same time, Mullah Akhund assured that the Taliban would not interfere in another country. But the international community is watching the actions, not the words of the Taliban. Since taking over power in Afghanistan, the Taliban have brutally cracked down on its opponents, trampling human rights. The Taliban also pursued extremist policies by imposing sanctions on the Afghan people.

As a result, the international community is not ready to trust the Taliban. Pakistan and China, which have taken the lead in cooperating with the Taliban, are also reluctant to recognize the regime, given the international outcry against the Taliban. This has had dire consequences for the Taliban, and analysts warn that it will be increasingly difficult for the Taliban to run Afghanistan in the coming times.