The situation in Afghanistan remains precarious and uncertain nearly six months after the Taliban takeover, as the multiple political, socio-economic and humanitarian shocks reverberate across the war-ravaged country, the UN Secretary-General said in a report.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in his report Thursday on ‘The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security’ said that the “best way” to promote stability and future international support is for the Taliban to avoid the isolation that characterised its previous experience in power.
“The Taliban is showing efforts to present itself as a caretaker government. The movement, however, has yet to form governing structures that reflect the country’s ethnic, political and geographic diversity and include women. Efforts are constrained by the lack of resources and capacity, as well as an ideology that clashes in many ways with international norms of governance.
“The movement is also seeking to manage its own internal coherence. With the Taliban not having established the trust of many of the Afghan people or convinced Afghans of its capacity to govern, many continue to seek to leave their country. Moving forward, it is essential that every effort be made to reach out to all segments of Afghan society in order to establish a process that can lead to inclusive governance structures, fully reflecting the wishes and interests of the diverse Afghan society,” it said.
Guterres in his report said that the situation in Afghanistan remains precarious and uncertain nearly six months after the Taliban takeover, as the multiple political, socio-economic and humanitarian shocks reverberate across the country.
The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan on August 15, two weeks before the US’ complete troop withdrawal on August 31 after a costly two-decade war. This forced Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who was backed by the US-led West, to flee the country to the UAE.
The Taliban insurgents stormed across Afghanistan and captured all major cities in a matter of days, as Afghan security forces trained and equipped by the US and its allies melted away.
The report added that Afghanistan is experiencing a massive economic contraction. An entire complex social and economic system is shutting down, in part because of the deficiencies in governance, the suspension of non-humanitarian aid flows and sanctions.