Afghan citizens under the Taliban rule: Frustration, poverty, and displacement

An Afghan student’s appeal for compassion and international support for the common people

AFPImage: AFP

After the former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country on August 15, 2021, the Taliban, allegedly with the direct support of the army of Pakistan, captured Kabul, the Afghanistan capital. The resistance continued for a short time in Panjshir province leaded by Ahmad Massoud, but the resistance was defeated by the alleged intervention of the army of Pakistan.

The people of Afghanistan have been living amidst abysmal conditions since the Taliban came to power. Nearly one million employees of the previous government lost their jobs. The economic system is falling apart and poverty is rampant. 

Foreign aid is distributed only to those who support the Taliban, and poorest people are deprived of such aid. The humanitarian aid which provided by India to the people of Afghanistan, unfortunately, the aid is only distributed to relatives of Taliban members and it is not distributed to the country’s poor peoples.

The education system is broken and schools and universities are closed. Women have been denied the right to study and work, and girls have been barred from going out of their homes. My mother was a teacher and my sisters were school students, my mother lost her job and my sister can’t go to school, they are staying at home like prisoners.

The scientists and other people working in the field have left the country and thousands of citizens are leaving the country every day due to poverty and unemployment. Most of the soldiers of the previous government have left Afghanistan. Some of them remain in the country, they are arrested and tortured by the Taliban. Professional people are fired from government offices and replaced by people who have any relationship with the Pakistan government.

Afghanistan is made up of different ethnic groups such as the Hazara, Tajik, Uzbek and Pashtun. But in the Taliban government, only the Pashtun ethnic group is present and other ethnic groups play no role. Due to the absence of other ethnic groups in the Taliban cabinet, this group has not yet been recognized by other countries. Taliban are not acceptable to any people of Afghanistan. Most Afghans, especially women, oppose Taliban rule. Every day uprisings against the group are taking place across Afghanistan. But due to lack of foreign support, the uprisings are being suppressed by the Taliban.

Nowadays Afghan people are in a tough situation. As an Afghan student, I request international powers and our friendly countries to help my country. There will be a humanitarian catastrophe if foreign aid does not arrive in this country. Foreign aid should not be given to the Taliban and should be distributed directly to the people of Afghanistan. I also believe that the Taliban is a huge threat to the security of our neighbours and the countries of the world. Taliban doesn’t believe in human rights and, especially, women’s rights.

As an Afghan citizen who is aware of the tyranny and crimes of the Taliban, I urge India and the rest of the world not to recognize the Taliban in any way. It is not just my voice and request, it is the request of millions men and women of Afghanistan.

* The writer is an MBA student from Afghanistan.

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