AFghanistan in Context

Afghanistan in Context

Due to over twenty years of devastating conflict, Afghanistan has experienced severe economic, political, and social instability. The events of September 11 in 2001 once again returned Afghanistan to international attention and subsequent intervention, the consequences of which were the removal of the Taliban Government, the installation of a national interim government, and the implementation of a post-conflict recovery plan by the international community. Although Afghanistan is now in its 4th year of post-conflict recovery, and humanitarian assistance continues to play an integral part in the rehabilitation process, a vast number of Afghan citizens continue to live in extreme poverty, and much more lack the health, education, or opportunity to fulfill their potential. Afghanistan's economy is in a state of collapse and whereas once it was largely self-sufficient and an exporter of agricultural products, Afghanistan's productive capability has all but vanished.

The Taliban captured Kabul without reaching a political and peaceful settlement and years of democratic achievements, especially women’s rights lost overnight. Afghanistan was the worst place to become a woman and child after the disintegration of the Kabul administration. Currently, the socio-economic, cultural, and political situation of Afghan people has extremely deteriorated, and Afghan youth, women, and children are facing new challenges of freedom environment, education possibilities, healthcare services, and employment opportunities, as well as dire poverty; lack of access to justice and legal bodies; prevailing traditional norms and beliefs in new Afghanistan.

The continued drought, Covid-19 pandemic, conflict resulting in widespread famine, and the enormous need to import food have decreased the economic capacity of Afghan society. The deplorable state of the national economy and the near-complete destruction of basic infrastructure has left millions unemployed and destitute. Furthermore, expectations are that large numbers of refugees and internally displaced people will return to their places of origin. This will place a huge burden on many high-needs, low-infrastructure areas. With most of the country's infrastructure destroyed, the people in Afghanistan need structured and sustainable humanitarian relief and rehabilitation. The lack of capacity in the Taliban Government is one of the key constraints in the way of provision of improved service delivery to the population in the post-conflict situation in Afghanistan.

The Lack of knowledge, Skills, and awareness of the population on Human Rights, Civil Society, democracy, and the rule of law is the main constraint on the way of ongoing democratic process in the country which brought the urgent need for effective participation of all the citizens in the process for the establishment of transparent, accountable and democratic government through an active civil society in the country.