The State of Afghanistan: Facing the Largest Humanitarian Crisis in the World

 In the autumn breeze of 2021, the Pentagon witnessed a tragedy. A drone strike in Afghanistan claimed the lives of ten innocent civilians. Yet, as the winter snow fell, justice was denied, and no military personnel faced punishment for the attack. Meanwhile, Afghans sought refuge far and wide, with over 120,000 fleeing the turmoil and finding homes in foreign lands. However, hope soon withered as the Taliban regained control, imposing strict limitations on girls' education, women's mobility, and even the sound of music. Their wrath spared no one, targeting former officials and security forces, while the Islamic State continued its reign of terror.

Now, Afghanistan stands at the brink of a humanitarian crisis, the largest of its kind in the world, according to the United Nations. A cry for help went out in January 2022, as millions suffered from hunger, and countless children faced malnutrition. The ravages of climate change compounded the misery, with natural disasters and extreme weather decimating crops and reducing food supplies. And as the country's economy teetered on the edge, the specter of sanctions and aid cuts loomed large, causing inflation to soar and banks to falter. Yet, the world remained hesitant to help, as the Taliban's shadow cast a pall over any potential aid.

The blame game began as the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction report pointed fingers at the US forces and contractors for the collapse of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF). Signed during the Trump administration and endorsed by President Biden, the agreement to withdraw troops was seen as a betrayal by many Afghans, who believed it to be a sign of surrender to the Taliban. Corruption and long-term dependencies on the US were also cited as reasons for the ANDSF's poor preparedness.

In the summer of 2022, President Biden made an announcement that reverberated across the world. Ayman al-Zawahiri, a key figure in Al-Qaeda and the successor to Osama bin Laden, had been eliminated. US forces had targeted a house in Kabul, where Zawahiri was reportedly staying as a guest of the Taliban, condemning the group's violation of the 2020 Doha Agreement.