July 16, 2021

Taliban gains deprive Afghans of basic services

topic:	Peace and Reconciliation
located:	Afghanistan, Pakistan
editor:	Shadi Khan Saif

An aunt of a friend of mine in Afghanistan’s central highlands was about to deliver her first baby after over eight months of coping with all sorts of hardships. But in the end, due to a lack of healthcare services amid the raging violence in the country, the baby died. Mounting Taliban assaults across Afghanistan have deprived at least 13 million needy people like her of basic public services.

According to the country’s Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission, up to 260 public administrative buildings are destroyed in 160 districts of 29 provinces by explosives or other means, such as arson.

Findings by the commission further stated that looting of equipment and assets of public institutions took place in 82 districts that were recently captured by the Taliban.

Nader Nadery, the head of the commission, said at a news conference that around 13 million Afghans are deprived from fundamental government services and development projects such as reconstruction of water supply networks and construction of wells due to drought, roads, bridges, schools, and hospitals. “This all is just as a result of districts’ takeover by Taliban,” he said.

Isn’t this simply a blind conquest to capture power in Kabul, even if the group ends up ruling, literally, a graveyard of young and old?

The stalled peace talks in the Qatari capital need to be given full chance to bring people the peace they so desperately need instead of jockeying for more and more power and perks through at a time of extreme desperation.

Afghanistan today stands at a make-or-break point. This concerns the lives of so many people (nearly 40 million), as well as their dreams and emotions; this isn’t a mere number or geostrategic project.

Pakistan holds greater responsibility, and can simply not stand by and watch Afghanistan burning. It has so far been appalling to see it rallying behind the Taliban, while it should have at least stayed on the side of the Afghan people who are suffering the most if it cannot courageously support the Afghan government in defending democratic values.

Pakistan may be right in saying that it would suffer the most from a destabilised Afghanistan, but it needs to practically demonstrate its good will towards the people of Afghanistan, by, at least, refraining from picking sides in this senseless war.

Image: Sohaib Ghyasi. 

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