The resurgence of the Taliban and the recent political changes in Afghanistan have caused a rise in unemployment and poverty throughout the country. The collapse of the republic system has resulted in the dismissal of many citizens from their jobs, with hundreds more losing their means of earning a living. The Taliban‘s restrictions on citizens have hindered the global community‘s interactions with the group, further exacerbating Afghanistan‘s economic crisis. Over the course of almost two years of Taliban rule, poverty has become an increasingly pressing issue for citizens. Although most impoverished citizens receive humanitarian aid from the international community, some aid organizations‘ activities in Ghor province have been disrupted due to the Taliban‘s interference in the distribution of the aid.
In April of this year, the United Nations International Children‘s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) ceased its operations in the Ghor province due to the Taliban‘s restrictions and interference in the survey, distribution, employment, and collection of aid. UNICEF‘s primary project was to provide assistance to families with disabled children, pregnant and lactating women, and families with female heads of households.
The cessation of United Nations International Children‘s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) operations in Ghor province has deprived over 40,000 families of assistance, leading to worries among its inhabitants. These people rely on aid from international organizations to avoid starvation and sustain their lives.
Sannobar, a resident of the Du Layna district in Ghor province, has been dependent on humanitarian aid for the past two years in order to sustain her livelihood. She is now worried about the suspension of UNICEF‘s projects in the province. In an interview with Hasht–e-Subh Daily, she expressed, “My two children have disabilities, and I was thankful for the help. They came, surveyed us, registered us, and told us that we were eligible for aid. They said they would provide cash to my children shortly.”
Sannobar, who had recently been informed of the suspension of UNICEF‘s operations, declared that her husband is a farmer and they have no other source of income. “It has been a week since I heard that aid is not being provided, and life has become even more challenging. We have nothing in our home, and my heart aches for my two disabled children,” she expressed.
The termination of operations by aid organizations, including UNICEF, in Ghor province will make life even more challenging for the inhabitants, especially for women who are the primary providers for their families.
Golchehra, who is responsible for her five–member family in the Shahrak district of Ghor province, has been reliant on humanitarian aid to sustain them for the past two years. She states, “These organizations have been providing us with assistance for two years, and we have been able to survive due to their aid as we have had no other source of support.”
Golchehra, who was eligible for assistance from UNICEF, eagerly awaited the aid but was informed by her neighbors that UNICEF had ceased its operations. She expressed, “As the head of the household, they informed me that the aid would be distributed, and I was told that there would be 26,000 Afghanis in aid. I was overjoyed as this would cover the cost of flour, oil, expenses, and household food for a year.”
The poverty–stricken resident, her face and clothing reflecting her destitution, declared: “Two days ago, I was informed that aid organizations had stopped distributing their assistance and may no longer be providing aid to the people of Ghor province. Since hearing this news, my children and I have been filled with sorrow, and our hope for these aids, which we viewed as a blessing from God, has been extinguished.”
The remote location of the western Afghan province of Ghor has caused it to be overlooked. Taliban restrictions on the activities of aid organizations for two years have forced them to suspend their operations in the province, leaving approximately 50,000 vulnerable families without access to humanitarian aid.
According to the findings of Hasht–e-Subh Daily, the direct involvement of Taliban members in the activities of aid organizations such as surveying, distributing, and employing is one of the primary reasons for the suspension of aid activities in Ghor province. Despite a written promise from the Taliban governor in Ghor province to the coordinating office for humanitarian aid to not interfere in the operations of these organizations, Taliban members in the Tulak district of the province have recently threatened local leaders to collect and redistribute 30% of the aid intended for the needy and distribute it themselves.
