After the U.S. forces finally withdrew, the new Taliban rulers of Afghanistan worked hard to maintain the operation of the country on Wednesday (September 1), and foreign donors were shocked by the imminent humanitarian crisis.
In the past two weeks, the Taliban have invaded Kabul aggressively and ended a 20-year war. Islamic radicals have yet to name a new government or reveal how they intend to rule.
In an administrative vacuum, prices soared and crowds gathered in banks to withdraw cash.
Heavily armed militants have exercised control over the capital, but after the large-scale airlift to help foreigners and Afghans in the Western military ends, Taliban officials are working hard to keep hospitals and government agencies running.
Bankers familiar with the matter said that the new central bank governor appointed by the Taliban tried to reassure the bank that the organization hopes to build a fully functional financial system, but so far there have been few details of how it will be funded.
Qatar Al Jazeera reported that Qatar technical experts have, at the request of the Taliban, discussed resuming operations at Kabul Airport, which is currently inoperable.
The Foreign Minister of Pakistan, a neighboring country with close ties to the Taliban, said he expects Afghanistan to establish a new “consensus government” within a few days.
In Washington, the end of the longest U.S. war triggered the biggest crisis in President Joe Biden’s administration. Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Newland said that the U.S. is looking for all possible options and ways to continue to help Americans and legal permanent residents leave Afghanistan.
She told reporters that Washington will continue to engage in dialogue with the Taliban serving the interests of the United States, adding that the United States will study how to provide assistance to Afghanistan without benefiting any government it forms.
People are afraid of life under the Taliban and flock to the border.
In Panjshir Province, members of the local militia and remnants of the former military force are still holding on under the leadership of Ahmed Masood. Senior Taliban leader Amir Khan Motaki called on them to lay down their weapons and negotiate.
“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is home to all Afghans,” he said in a speech.
The Taliban announced an amnesty to all Afghans who cooperated with foreign troops during the war that began when they were driven out in 2001 for refusing to hand over Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden after the September 11 attacks Step down.
The Taliban leaders called on the Afghans to return home and help rebuild. They pledged to protect human rights to show a more gentle face than their first government, which enforced strict Islamic laws, including prohibiting women from receiving education and employment.
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But their more immediate concern is to avoid economic collapse. Afghanistan desperately needs funding, and the Taliban is unlikely to quickly obtain approximately US$10 billion in assets held abroad by the Central Bank of Afghanistan.
The Taliban has ordered the bank to reopen but imposed strict restrictions on weekly withdrawals.
this #Taliban Restrictions on bank withdrawals #Afghanistan, According to media reports.
The Central Bank of Afghanistan, De Afghan Bank, has ordered pvt and international banks to limit individual customer withdrawals to US$200, which is equivalent to AFS2,000 per week. pic.twitter.com/JeLxUehV8g
— IANS Tweet (@ians_india) August 29, 2021
Two bankers who attended the meeting stated that the Acting Central Bank Governor Haji Mohamed Idlissang met with members of the Afghan Banking Association and other financiers this week. They quoted Idris as saying that militant groups are trying to find solutions to rising liquidity and inflation.
“They are very attractive and asked the bank what they were worried about,” said a banker who requested anonymity.
Banks have lined up, currencies have devalued, inflation has risen, and many offices and shops are still closed.
“Everything is expensive now, and prices are rising every day,” said Zelge, a Kabul resident.
Outside the capital, humanitarian organizations warned of imminent disasters as severe droughts hit farmers and forced thousands of rural poor people to seek refuge in cities. But foreign donors are not sure who to talk to.
Taliban officials said that once the new government comes to power, the problem will ease and urge other countries to maintain economic relations.
Bankers outside Afghanistan say that without banking experts joining the Great Escape, it will be difficult for the financial system to re-operate. “I don’t know how they will manage it, because all the technical staff, including senior managers, have left the country,” said a banker.
A senior EU official stated that the EU will need to contact the Taliban, but will not rush to officially recognize them as the new ruler of Afghanistan.
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After the Taliban occupied Kabul in mid-August, more than 123,000 people were evacuated from Kabul in an airlift led by the United States, but tens of thousands of Afghans at risk remained behind.
Due to the suspension of Kabul Airport, efforts to help Afghans who are afraid of the Taliban have focused on arranging safe passage through the borders with Iran, Pakistan and Central Asia.
In Tolkam, east of the Khyber Pass, on the border with Pakistan, a Pakistani official said: “There are many people on the Afghan side waiting for the gate to open.”
The border between Uzbekistan and northern Afghanistan remains closed.
Fearing that as many as 500,000 Afghans may flee, Britain and India held separate talks with Taliban officials in Doha.
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said on Wednesday that so far, Afghans have mainly stayed in Afghanistan and only a few have fled to neighboring countries. It called for US$300 million in international funding for humanitarian emergencies.
The Taliban stated that they had surrounded Panjshir’s forces, which is the only province still resisting, and called on them to negotiate a settlement. Some Taliban leaders mocked the United States.
“Your power is gone, and your gold is gone,” Taliban leader Anas Haqqani said on Twitter, after he posted a picture he was holding abandoned while visiting Bagram prison. Photo of the shackles, where he was held by the US military for many years.
