A year after the Taliban swept across Afghanistan, sparking a chaotic withdrawal of U.S. and allied forces, the country’s dire economic and human rights outlook has only worsened.
Teenage girls can no longer attend school, few women are allowed to hold jobs, journalists are under siege and the country’s economy has collapsed just as a surge in global food prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine made widespread starvation a serious risk.
After largely consolidating control following two decades of war, the Taliban initially promised to rule differently than they did in the late 1990s. They reached a deal with the U.S. to allow American troops to depart without a fight and sought international recognition that would help cushion the economy by keeping aid money flowing.
