July 1, 2021-As the U.S. and NATO military forces leave Afghanistan, a tumultuous unraveling of society is taking place in the country. Afghans are facing human rights violations, corruption, and economic threats, a panel of experts told the UN Security Council last week. Meanwhile, new clashes between the government and Taliban forces are breaking out.
U.S. and NATO troops are pulling out of Afghanistan earlier than the expected September 11, 2021 withdraw.
That’s causing a “seismic tremor” in Afghanistan, according to Deborah Lyons, Special Representative and Head of the UN Assistance Mission. “The withdrawal decision was expected, but its speed — with the majority of troops already withdrawn — was not,” a UN News publication quoted her as saying.
Lyons briefed the council last week, along with other experts in the field. She said the Taliban has seized a number of districts around the provincial capitals. Furthermore, she says they are likely to attempt to gain the provincial capitals following the withdraw of international forces. Lyons told UN News, that it is “a tragic course of action.”
US-Taliban Agreement in 2020
It’s a year an a half since the United States signed a deal with the Taliban. Since that agreement in February 2020, Afghanistan has experienced more violence and less political unity. That gives the Taliban the potential to gain territory. Since May, the Taliban gained control over 50 of the 370 Afghan districts.
According to Mary Akrami, executive director of Afghan Women’s Network, told the Security Council that the U.S-Taliban agreement reached “has brought nothing but increased violence”.
Current Issues in Afghanistan
During this time, Afghanistan has numerous crises taking place alongside the removal of foreign forces. Human rights violations are a central concern for the UN. In the first quarter of the year, Afghanistan experienced a 29 percent increase in civilian casualties.
Lyons emphasizes a need for more attention on Afghanistan due to its global implications and its domestic violence.
The potential for violence in Afghanistan could lead to conflict in other countries as well. Lyons argued, “a fragmented conflict creates a more permissive environment for terrorist groups to recruit, finance, plan and conduct operations with a global reach.”
Corruption is closely linked to Afghanistan. So are terror attacks. According to Ghada Fathy Ismail Waly, Executive Director of UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Afghanistan holds the highest number of world casualties due to terror attacks.
Illicit Economy
Meanwhile, an illicity economy is flourishing, experts told the Security Council. UNAMA and UNODC have both acted to prevent the continued drug-related crimes in Afghanistan by the Taliban and their terrorist organization alliances.
They said the pandemic did not affect drug crops and the supply of heroin within Afghanistan. Waly explained that the “illicit economy threatens peace” which needs to be addressed by the Afghan police.
For more reading, see Afghanistan Peace Unlikely, As U.S. Exits Trillion-Dollar War.
Additional reporting on this story by Patti Mohr
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