Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
July 31, 2023
Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers are seeking to exercise greater control over international assistance operations by imposing bans and restrictions on aid groups even as the country suffers from one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
In a new report, the research group Afghanistan Analysts Network looked into why the Taliban has imposed restrictions on aid groups and the hard-line government’s attitude towards aid operations and the aid workers implementing them.
Over the past year, the Taliban has banned Afghan women from working for international nongovernmental organizations and most aid groups. It also has ordered all internationally funded education projects to be handed over to its Education Ministry.
Earlier this month, the militant rulers also suspended all Swedish-funded aid projects in what the group said was its response to the burning of the Islamic holy book, the Koran, in Stockholm.
“The Taliban’s increasingly restrictive stance suggests the environment will not become easier any time soon,” the report, released on July 30, concludes.
Written by Sabawoon Samim and Ashley Jackson, the report recommends that aid groups interested in continuing their work in Afghanistan should consider “investing in improving relations with the Taliban and trying to change the authorities’ perceptions of aid actors,” adding this should be “an urgent priority.”
According to the United Nations, Afghanistan is one of the worst humanitarian crises globally. More than 29 million Afghans, or over two-thirds of the country’s estimated 40 million people, need humanitarian assistance.
A rapid economic collapse after the pullout of international troops in August 2021, environmental disasters, and the gradual loss of international humanitarian aid has pushed millions toward starvation.
“We are hungry, and we are worried. If aid does not reach us, we will all be dead,” said Hussain, whose family of seven survived because of the two bags of flour an international NGO gave him last month.
No country has officially recognized the Taliban-led government, which has been widely criticized for human rights abuses, severe restrictions of women’s rights, and discrimination against ethnic minorities.
International concerns about the Taliban’s marginalization of women and girls, and other human rights abuses, have further suppressed aid flows.
“I have been sitting here for 10 days and no work,” says Khurd Agha.
“I can only buy bread for my family when I have some money,” the father of seven told RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi.
The Taliban has been at loggerheads with international aid groups for months. In December, the group banned Afghan women from working for local and foreign NGOs, leading major organizations to halt or reduce their operations, including emergency food distribution, health-care services, and education. In April, the ban was expanded to include the UN.
Later that month, international donors and aid agencies suspended their operations in three Afghan provinces after accusing the Taliban of attempting to divert or manipulate aid distribution.
In June, the UN revised its annual aid budget for Afghanistan from $4.6 billion to $3.2 billion this year, citing reduced funding from international donors.
Abdul Fattah Javad, an Afghan aid worker, says he is deeply anxious in Kabul. His country cannot freely trade because of sanctions on the Taliban’s unrecognized government, while moves hindering access to aid bite even further.
“The reduction of international aid would have a regrettable effect on the lives of Afghans,” he told Radio Azadi.
Ayaz Gul
8am: This tragic event unfolded when the Shamali fighters successfully trapped the Taliban army in their region, inflicting significant damage on their war machinery and causing substantial casualties among their ranks during prolonged and intense clashes. The attacking forces, comprised of both local and foreign fighters armed with advanced weaponry, subsequently engaged in widespread acts of revenge upon capturing these territories. They were involved in a massacre, deliberately setting fire to harvest stacks and forests, causing explosions in water channels, destroying farmland, forcing people to migrate, and ultimately eradicating all forms of life in the area. During this relatively short period, numerous heartbreaking incidents occurred, although they have been poorly documented and recorded. The recurring question that arises when reviewing and revisiting these events is why the Taliban’s crimes received little discussion and why no institution took the initiative to document the tragic events of that year. 
8am: According to the sources cited by Hasht-e Subh, the journalists were detained on Monday, July 31, in Mazar-e-Sharif, the center of Balkh province. Since regaining control of Afghanistan, the Taliban have been severely interfering with the media and journalists, occasionally resorting to arrests, beatings, and imprisonment. This incident follows the detention of a local journalist in Nangarhar by the Taliban last month. 
Ariana: Afghanistan defeated Turkmenistan 3-2 to secure second position in the CAFA Futsal Cup 2023 on Sunday. The six-nation tournament, hosted by Tajikistan, was won by Iran which defeated the hosts 1-0 in their last match. Uzbekistan came third. 
8am: Following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, Shiites have encountered restrictions and numerous threats during the observance of the tenth day of Muharram, known as Ashura. In the past, suicide attacks targeted Muharram mourning gatherings on several occasions. This year, the Taliban imposed limitations on these religious ceremonies, forbidding Shiites from holding street gatherings, performing Tatbir, raising flags, and setting up water stations. On the tenth day of Muharram, the Taliban disrupted communication networks in Kabul, Balkh, and Ghazni provinces, and they hindered Tatbir and street processions. 
DW: A headscarf is not enough: The Taliban is punishing cab drivers for transporting women not covered up with burqas. As a result, fewer and fewer women are traveling in cities. 
India Today: An official in Taliban’s government in Afghanistan has argued that wearing a necktie is against Islamic teachings, equating it to a cross and advocated its elimination. The tie is widely believed to have emerged in the 17th century and was made a fashion staple by the French.