Afghanistan: Aid organizations face uncertain future under Taliban

On Sunday, the Taliban seized control of Kabul, toppling the U.S.-backed Afghan government and leaving an estimated 22 million people in need of humanitarian assistance.

Aid organizations in the country now find themselves in a precarious position. It is unclear what Taliban rule will mean for their work — they still need to deliver services while constantly monitoring the evolving situation.

But speaking to Devex from Kabul, aid workers said they were determined to continue providing support to people in need.

“It's our modus operandi to be here before the crisis and after the crisis, and probably right now we’re within the crisis,” said Mustapha Ben Messaoud, chief of field operations at UNICEF Afghanistan.

Access, freedom of movement, and funding will be the biggest challenges. Several organizations told Devex that they will continue to work in the country, but will have to wait to see the extent of services they can deliver.

UNICEF has received assurances from the Taliban that its work can continue, Messaoud said.

“We've had discussions with the Taliban leadership across the country in Herat, Kandahar, this morning in Jalalabad, and in Mazar-i-Sharif. The only place where we haven't had contact with them is in Kabul, and that is next in line,” he said.

However, the U.N. body, which is focused on women and children, is not operating at full capacity. “The conflict is not over. We don't want to put our staff and partners in harm's way,” he added.

The majority of UNICEF employees in the country are women, and there is a question over whether they will feel safe going to work under Taliban rule.

Activists are also wary of how the Taliban’s promises will play out in the long run, especially regarding the rights of women and girls.

“They say they will allow women to work and study as long as they wear the hijab, but what happens on the ground is very different,” Heather Barr, the interim co-director of the women's rights division at Human Rights Watch told Devex. “The extent to which women will be able to be workers or recipients of aid is up in the air — we’ll have to wait to see.”

Another major uncertainty is over funding. Aid organizations say they will have to rely on support from the international community — U.N. bodies, donors, and governments — to ensure continued services.

But last week, Germany, one of the country’s biggest donors, said it would stop aid if the Taliban took control by force, and there are fears that other donors will follow. Now, UNICEF and other aid organizations hope that there is room for negotiation, and that the outcome will not push away traditional donors.

“Afghanistan has always attracted resources. But yes there is a question mark right now because of the political situation — how that’s going to affect the generosity of donors,” Messaoud said.

He added that UNICEF is immediately short of $26 million, and will need $76 million until the end of the year to continue their operations — more than double their projected 2021 budget.

The potential cuts in funding will hurt women and girls the most, aid experts said. “The challenge is to find ways to continue to deliver aid that doesn't get distorted or captured by the Taliban. Can you work around their abusive ways and policies and deliver aid in a fair and equitable way?” Barr asked.

The key will lie in putting pressure on the Taliban. “Every government will have to communicate to the Taliban that if you engage in mistreatment of women, you will not get any aid,” she said, adding that the group’s need for legitimacy is something that has been discussed more and more.

“The question I get asked often is, ‘Can we trust the Taliban?’” Barr said. “And my answer is: It doesn’t matter, we don’t have a choice.”