The American new president, reduced USAID’s functions and banned US overseas developmental funding. The strategy may pose a serious risk to nations like Afghanistan.
Afghanistan depends on foreign assistance for basic amenities, particularly after the Taliban took control in 2021. In August 2021, the United States evacuated its soldiers and other authorities from the entire country. Washington continued to be the nation’s biggest contributor in spite of this.
A total of $21 billion in aid to Afghanistan has been allocated or rendered accessible in various ways by Washington. The sum has been allotted since the new rulers took complete control of the nation, according to a report from the office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.
According to the United States, the funding is meant for the Afghan citizens. Therefore, measures will be implemented to keep the Taliban from gaining ownership of the international assistance. Nonetheless, the influx of US funds has indirectly aided the Taliban. In any case, it has lessened the chance of sharp inflation and stabilized the Afghani currency. This delicate equilibrium is at danger of being upset by the halt of US funding.
Numerous analysts contend that international assistance to Afghanistan has unintentionally assisted the Taliban in retaining power in the nation. They think the Taliban would give in to pressure from abroad since the money is no longer flowing. Otherwise, there will be more domestic resistance to it.
The Taliban governing system have been unable to create a financial system that can sustain themselves during since 2021. They were mostly reliant on such assistance due to the economic system’s weakness.
Taliban Humanitarian Failure
Fundamental liberties for women have been consistently ignored by the Taliban since they retook control of the country. Among the primary barriers facing the female population are schooling and finding work outside the house. Afghan women are not allowed to display their facial features in public when under Taliban control. The rights of females continue to be a significant obstacle to any nation forming formal ties with the Taliban.
Because of this, the Taliban aren’t acknowledged as the legal rulers of Afghanistan by any nation in the world. Additionally, the Taliban have not succeeded in forming an all-encompassing administration. Additionally, they did not provide a procedure for Afghan population to engage in civic activities.
In recent months, there have been more demands from throughout the world to put greater strain on the Taliban.
Nevertheless, reducing essential help would only make the Afghan population’s misery worse. About 26 million Afghans rely on international assistance to survive, according to the United Nations figures. Humanitarian groups will fail to offer anything from basic to complex aid if they are failing to obtain funding.
As a consequence of the president’s extensive executive orders, funding to Afghanistan has been curtailed. The directives were directed at development assistance generally rather than Afghanistan in particular. Right now, Afghanistan seems to be at the bottom of Trump’s foreign policy priorities. The attention is shifting to crises in Ukraine and the Middle East.
The new US president has made no secret of his expectations of the Taliban, including the return of US-left military hardware in Afghanistan following the chaotic withdrawal of troops in 2021.
