Six months of Taliban: Afghans safer, poorer, less hopeful

Afghanistan has undergone a dramatic transformation in half the year of the Taliban government.

The country feels safer, less malignant than it has in a few decades, but the confused economy of help is a barrel of collapse.

Tens of thousands of Afghans have escaped or have been evacuated, including a large number of educated elites.

They are afraid of their economic future or lack of freedom under the group who consider strict interpretation of Islam and during the previous government in the late 1990s marching girls from schools and women from work.

Tuesday marked six months since the capital of Afghanistan Kabul was reported to the Taliban with a sudden departure and the secret of the country-supported president.

Takeover of Kabul has been preceded by the Taliban military campaign for months to take control of the provincial area, many of them fall with fight.

Today, the view of the Armed Taliban fighters roam the streets still jars and scare residents.

But women have returned to the streets, and many young men have been wearing western clothes again after initially spilling them for traditional Shalwar Kameez, long shirts and loose pants liked by the Taliban.

Unlike in the 1990s, the Taliban allowed several women to work. Women return in their work at the Ministry of Health and Education, as well as at Kabul International Airport, often next to the man.

But women are still waiting to return to work in other ministries. Thousands of jobs have been lost in the lower economic spiral, and women have been hit.

Taliban have taken action against women’s protests and harassed journalists, including detaining two briefly foreign journalists who worked with the United Nations Refugee Body last week.

On Monday, the detention of several young men who sell liver-shaped flowers in recognition of Valentine’s Day is a striking reminder that the administration driven by new religions – men do not have tolerance for the West’s idea of romance.

Girls in class 1-6 have gone to school, but those in a higher class are still locked in most countries. The Taliban promised all the girls would be at school after Afghan’s new year at the end of March.

The university gradually reopens and universities and private schools have never been closed.

Poverty is deep. Even those who have money struggling to access it. At the bank, the lane as long as the population waits for hours, sometimes even days, to draw a $ 200 per week.

More than USD 9 billion in Afghan foreign assets were frozen after the Taliban takeover.

Last week, President Joe Biden signed an executive order promising USD 3.5 billion – from USD 7 billion Afghan assets frozen in the United States – will be given to the 9/11 American victims’ families.