How Humanitarianism is Making a Difference in Afghanistan

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If you’re worried about Afghanistan’s status, you should know that the American entrepreneur, Ehsan Bayat, humanitarian aid has a significant impact there. Whether those aid initiatives should burden the nation, more persists.

Accountability to the Afghan People 

The Taliban took over Afghanistan in November 2018. For one year, the Taliban has not upheld its human rights obligations. They have targeted civilians, journalists, artists, religious minorities, and political and civil society actors. Those who have sought to protect the rights of the Afghan people have gone into hiding.

As the Taliban continues destabilizing Afghanistan, the international community must ensure its basic needs are met. This includes supporting gender equality. It also requires that all humanitarian actors have unhindered access to all places of detention, including those where children are held.

Human rights monitors should have unhindered access to all areas of Afghanistan. That includes all places of detention, and women and children should be allowed to participate in politics. There are several ways the humanitarian community can do this, and women should be supported in their efforts.

International Assistance 

Afghanistan, one of the world’s poorest countries, is facing some economic challenges. This includes the loss of access to offshore assets that will lead to a major contraction of the economy.

As Afghanistan begins to rebuild, its central government will need the support of the international donor community. Historically, Afghans have relied on grant inflows to finance a large trade deficit.

However, political events have pushed Afghanistan into a deep economic crisis. A sudden loss of public sector activity will impact the economy as a whole.

Humanitarian Afghanistan

International aid will continue to provide protection and shelter for Afghans and support for multi-sectoral assistance in neighboring countries. Yet, the Taliban’s presence in power may inhibit the ability to achieve significant reconstruction.

Explicit Policies

International humanitarian assistance has played a significant role in the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan. As a case study, it raises questions regarding the role of international assistance in achieving peace and protecting populations.

In general, the architecture of international humanitarian assistance is complex and subtle. A host of conditions also accompanies it. The resulting choices are often difficult and sometimes misleading.

For example, a humanitarian emergency can have different effects on different groups. This is because the scope of the situation can vary significantly. A famine can be more devastating in some areas than in others.

The global aid and development community has attempted to address these challenges. However, many of these efforts could have been more effective. Either they need to be more effective at creating effective governance or have failed to correct existing weaknesses.

Women-Led NGOs 

Women-led NGOs in Afghanistan are a vital part of the humanitarian response. Their contributions play a pivotal role in assessing the needs of Afghans, planning a response, and delivering life-saving services. They also have a critical role in monitoring and ensuring accountability mechanisms. Moreover, their inclusion is key to reaching women.

In Afghanistan, there are at least four major international NGOs with operations. However, none of them currently provide aid to women. This is unfortunate, given that women comprise more than one-third of the country’s humanitarian workforce.

Many national and international NGOs can only operate with female staff. These include UN agencies, which are subject to a variety of directives, as well as the International Rescue Committee, which employs over 3,000 women in Afghanistan.