August 19, 2021– The jaws of Hell opened this week as Kabul, Afghanistan fell to the Taliban, parting the gates for the worst humanitarian crisis of the year.
Images from around Afghanistan emulate the disruption and chaos that has come from this growth in Taliban power: Taliban members smiled at the media cameras in their conquered territories. Afghan civilians clung to US Air Force planes departing from Kabul, pleading for a way out of the country.
As The New York Times put it, this week’s events are “a symbol of America’s military might, flying out of the country even as Afghans hung on against all hope.”
‘Cannot Abandon The People of Afghanistan’
Half of the country’s population — about 18 million individuals — are reliant on humanitarian aid, according to the United Nations.
Many in the international community are fraught with concerns over human rights within Afghanistan. While the Taliban promises a country of peace under Islam, their reputation precedes them. The repressive and violent nature of the Taliban invokes great fear in the Afghans who remain in the country.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres released a statement during yesterday’s Security Council meeting, “They (Afghans) deserve our full support. The following days will be pivotal. The world is watching. We cannot and must not abandon the people of Afghanistan.”
Furthermore, major concerns rest with human rights violations against women and girls. The protection of women and girls’ rights needs to be the responsibility of the international community, Guterres said.
Preventing Afghanistan’s use as a terrorist safe haven is a major component in protecting these rights. Guterres pled for the international community to unite in this effort in suppressing terrorism in Afghanistan and guaranteeing the respect of basic human rights.
Status of Afghan Evacuation
The Department of Defense announced they anticipate the United States to airlift between 5,000 to 9,000 people per day. They are planning to move aircraft in and out of Kabul airport every hour.
Meanwhile, Turkish forces are assisting in the evacuation alongside 4,000 United States military personal. Turkish and some Afghan security forces are helping secure the airport while the Taliban rest directly outside the tarmac.
Western forces have evacuated roughly 5,000 individuals in the last 24 hours. This number includes diplomats, aid workers, Afghan citizens, and security staff members.
A Growing Need for Safe Havens
The safety of international service providers has gravely declined since the seizing of Kabul. Those who work as humanitarian and medical personnel, along with interpreters, in Afghanistan are extremely vulnerable to Taliban violence.
Afghan citizens who worked for the U.S. government are also susceptible to Taliban violence and are in need of refuge.
The Biden administration has been in talks with countries that could potentially host Afghan refugees, according to Reuter’s sources. Discussions have been difficult and progress limited because of grave concerns. Countries fear the uncertainty of accepting Afghan refugees without visas from the United States.
Today, the European Union shared a Blueprint Network. Leaders met regarding the new Pact on Migrating and Asylum. The Blueprint Network discussed how EU agencies and Member States can evacuate EU staff and citizens and locals who have assisted in a safe and quick manner. Currently displaced within Afghanistan, NGO members also require immediate help from the EU.
“I have called on Member States to step up their engagement on resettlement, to increase resettlement quotas to help those in need of international protection, and to offer complimentary legal pathways,” said EU Commissioner Yiva Johansson in today’s statement.
“We should prevent people from heading towards the European Union through unsafe, irregular and uncontrolled routes run by smugglers,” Johansson said.
The EU also extends its continued work in the Core Group of the Solution Strategy for Afghan refugees and a Support Platform in 2021 to support Afghans in displacement. Through these efforts, the EU intends to strengthen the bloc’s response to the Afghan refugee situation. Their goal is to support the international community as they accept displaced Afghan citizens.
Women’s Rights under the Taliban
Many in the international community expressed concern over women’s rights under Taliban rule. The Taliban has a reputation for greatly repressing women in every capacity from education, speech, employment, and confinement. While the Taliban pledges respect to women’s rights, the Human Rights Watch reported there has already been a reemergence of the traditional Islam ways. Such recent actions include closing girls’ schools, forcing women to leave their jobs, and restricting movement.
Canada and Sweden expressed concerns over women’s political will. Projected by HRW, Taliban leadership will greatly challenge the feminist foreign policy progression in Afghanistan.
Allegations of human rights abuses have been flooding the Office of the High Commissioner for United Nations Human Rights. Their spokesperson, Rupert Colville, shared in Tuesday’s briefing notes the current disruptions in the flow of information. Due to this complication, the office is unable to verify allegations.
UN Plans for the Future of Afghan Human Rights
The United Nations released a statement discussing Afghanistan on Monday. Council President T.S. Tirumurti (India) shared the Security Council’s response to the Taliban’s regained power in Afghanistan.
The Security Council calls for,
- An immediate end to violence and hostilities within Afghanistan. Through inclusive negotiations, the establishment of a new Government. The new Government is to be equal and inclusive, including permitting female participation.
- An immediate cease of violence in Afghanistan and the restoration of order. An immediate end to violence and hostilities within Afghanistan. Through inclusive negotiations, the establishment of a new Government. The new Government is to be equal and inclusive, including permitting female participation.
- The UN Security Council expects there by a restoration of constitutional, security, and civil order. A peaceful settlement is to be reach through Afghan-led and Afghan-owned methods to resolve the crisis of authority.
The UN Security Council also calls on the international community to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan through UN humanitarian agencies.
Members also reassured their collaboration in the work of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.
Afghan SIV Program
The US Department of State enacted the Emergency Security Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 on July 30, 2021. This act authorizes an additional 8,000 Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) for Afghan principal applications.
Director of Defense Intelligence Garry Reid shared the DoD is looking to opening up additional spaces for SIVs and their respective families. Reid reported that the DoD plans for an additional 20,000 to 22,000 spaces with the opportunity for more if needed.
Response by the International Population
This past week petitions have erupted through the international population. Petition creators seek support in the refuge of Afghan individuals, claims for Political/Reguee Asylum in the US, opening the borders of countries all over the world for Afghan people.
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