The worldwide reaction, including the United Nations, against the Taliban's takeover was full of outrage. The US, UK, Germany, and Canada were the first countries that announced that they would not recognize the Taliban’s government.
It has been a month since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan after the US-backed government of two decades was overthrown by the group swiftly. The worldwide reaction, including the United Nations, against the Taliban's takeover was full of outrage. The US, UK, Germany, and Canada were the first countries that announced that they would not recognize the Taliban’s government, a group that has fought against them since 9/11. They subsequently started evacuating their nationals and vulnerable Afghans who had cooperated with their missions in Afghanistan. Days after, the United States immediately froze $9.5 billion in emergency reserves at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York that Afghanistan's central bank kept on deposit and cut Taliban access.
Later, the International Monetary fund worth $450m, which was ready to be delivered to the Afghan government, was suspended after the Taliban overthrew the Ashraf Ghani government. Germany’s $300 million aid was suspended expected which was to be delivered to Afghanistan. The recent action by World Bank was also confusing as it halted its funding for the projects in Afghanistan. These all had created an immense financial collapse in Afghanistan because half of the population, or 18 million people, had been dependent on foreign aid before the Taliban seized Kabul. As per UNICEF, ten million children are currently in need of urgent help as they are at risk of starving by famine, and approximately 19 million people are jobless, which is disappointing.
Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, and Uzbekistan had started their aid to Afghanistan covering food and medicine; in the meantime, World Food Program and World Health Organizations' top officials have also shown their deep concerns over the imminent catastrophic conditions in Afghanistan.
To address these concerns, in the UN conference, donors pledged $1.1 billion aids for the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, days after the Taliban interim government’s announcement. All the promised humanitarian aid conditionally depends on Taliban actions in Afghanistan. Taliban thanked the international community, and the Taliban's acting foreign minister Amir Khan Mutaqi said that the aid of the international community should not be associated with political aims and wished US to keep its heart open towards Afghanistan as the US envoy to UN also promised $64m aid to Afghanistan.
On 24th August, before the G7 meeting on Afghanistan, the UK PM Boris Johnson had posted on his official Facebook page that the "Taliban will be judged by their deeds, not their words." US president Joe Biden has repeatedly insisted that they are not in a hurry to recognize the Taliban government. The international community has been watching the Taliban's actions closely in Afghanistan. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet has claimed in the Human Rights Council in Geneva that Afghanistan was in a "new and perilous phase" and charged the Taliban of abusing human rights, about which they had received reports since they have a seizure to power. Immediately Taliban denied that, but it will not walk the talk.
Taliban are on trial to stick to their pledges made during the US-Taliban Doha deal. Otherwise, Afghanistan will face a chronic economic downturn. Now it is up to the Taliban to change the current scenario in favor of their government, Afghans, and Afghanistan.
As a previously anti-Taliban, India pledged to provide Afghans assistance in the latest UN conference of $606 million. However, the Taliban have wonderful opportunities to enter into political relations with the international community and build better ties with nation-states. Only a few demands are the focal points for the international community to accept and respect by Taliban. It includes an inclusive government that the Taliban should form — ending the war in Afghanistan — the Panjshir Resistance should be solved through a negotiated settlement, freedom of speech for media and citizens that every Afghan should be enjoyed, human rights including of minority groups that Taliban should respect and protect, women rights (that Taliban are expected to allow girls’ education and provide them a proper environment for work), breaking links with terror groups and ensure the international community that Afghanistan's soil would not be used against any country for terrorist attacks. If the Taliban ignores or delays in fulfilling their pledges, Afghanistan will be pushed towards excessive poverty. The country will once again become a shelter for terrorist groups. Terror groups may re-emerge stronger in continuing current conditions of unemployment, dysfunctional public services, and no economic trade opportunities. So, Afghanistan can become the battlefield for proxies and terrorism. Instability in Afghanistan will not help the Taliban's rule; it will affect their future, including the entire nation that will be the victim of extreme internal and external pressures.
The international community is ready to engage with the Taliban in Afghanistan. The Wednesday meeting of the UNAMA head and the UN secretary-general of security with the acting interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, a co-founder of Haqqani Network, was significant. They discussed and stressed security concerns, humanitarian aids, and clearing the UN black-list of Taliban leaders.
The European Union, which plays a vital role in international politics, has given the green light to the Taliban to engage with them following their announcement of €200 million aid for the Afghan humanitarian crisis based on conditions that the Taliban need to fulfill. In his statement, the vice president of EU Joseph Borrell pointed out that engaging with the Taliban is the only option, but he also said that engagement with the Taliban does not mean recognition.
Regional countries like India, China, and Central Asia are keen to ensure Afghanistan's stability and economic development and engage with Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. China announced $31 million in aid for helping needy families. Thus, the Taliban should prefer a "considered and balanced" foreign policy to engage with the world and walk their talk. The ball is already in the Taliban's Court, and it is up to them whether they work in favor of national interests and values. Devising a comprehensive policy for all will help Afghanistan move the country forward from the ongoing economic and humanitarian crisis, and it should be the priority.
*** Masom Jan Masomy is a researcher and member of the Afghanistan Academy of Sciences who writes on Afghanistan, South Asia, and Central Asia