Seven Ways the Taliban Taking Over Afghanistan Affects the Local Population

Last month, we saw the United States and their NATO allies completely withdraw all of their forces from Afghanistan after twenty years of conflict, with the Taliban taking completely control of the country shortly after. I am pretty closely connected to this topic as I served five years in the United States Marine Corps and deployed twice to Iraq while a company from my unit was simultaneously deployed to Afghanistan. This topic is important because although the conflict is now over, the local Afghan population now has to live with another Taliban government which will drastically affect life for many individuals.

1. What the US presence provided for the local population

U.S. Army soldier on patrol in Afghanistan

The presence of US and NATO troops was enough to deter the Taliban from launching large-scale operations against a large portion of the country. Even though there was still heavy fighting north of the Helmand River Valley, most of the population was able to enjoy a greater sense of security and safety with the presence of US and NATO troops. The US government also helped bolster the Afghan economy by providing many locals with jobs and helped bolster Afghanistan's private sector by expanding the availability of local products and helping Afghan businesses improve their investments.

2. Life for women under the Taliban

Women working in Afghanistan wearing traditional attire

Under Taliban rule, the group most negatively impacted will be women. The Taliban follow Sharia Law very strictly and under this many women will lose almost every basic right they have. The Taliban have been known to practice forced marriage and have already begun to marry very young girls to often abusive Taliban fighters. The punishments under this type of religious law are also very harsh for women compared to men. Even the smallest infractions of this law usually result in torture or death for women. Even though I never saw exactly how women were treated under Sharia law, I witnessed how they were treated under a “normal” government in the middle east and it already seemed very oppressive compared to western standards.

3. The economy under the Taliban

Afghanistan currency exchange

Almost immediately after the complete take over of the Taliban the Afghan economy began to falter. All foreign jobs that employed thousands of locals disappeared overnight and a large majority of local businesses have closed, being too afraid to reopen. The average price of goods has skyrocketed. The Taliban government is also a decentralized organization meaning that many sub-groups may enact their own local economy and not contribute to a national one. It is unlikely that the economy will re stabilize anytime soon if at all.

4. Kidnappings by the Taliban

A family member of a Taliban kidnapping victim

The Taliban have practiced kidnapping since they first rose to power in the 1990s. Usually they take political opponents or vocal critics often to never be seen again. They also kidnap or extort many young men across the country as a way of recruitment. During the US occupation these kidnappings were less commonplace as much of the Taliban's resources were dedicated to fighting US and Afghan government forces. Now that the Taliban have total control these kidnappings have already begun to go up with almost no way for the locals to fight back against them.

5. Harsh punishments under the Taliban

Anti-Taliban CIA leaflet depicting Taliban violence against women and children

Under Taliban rule the law will and has already changed. The Taliban govern using Sharia Law which has harsh punishments for any infraction especially for women. Men are also affected by this law and any man who speaks out against the Taliban or that is found to be “problematic” will most likely be tortured and killed. I have unfortunately seen first hand what these terror groups do to local civilians when they do not cooperate, and it was always sickening to see. There are also many cases of families being kidnapped and tortured until the person of interest complies with the Taliban's wishes.

6. Retaliation for working with the U.S. and NATO allies

ANA and local translators working with U.S. Marines in Afghanistan

When the United States and fellow NATO countries occupied Afghanistan they employed thousands of locals to help support the mission. Many Afghans worked in supporting roles such as construction and truck driving for many US bases and government installations. The United States also employed select locals to serve as interpreters to work along with the military. The Taliban have always been outspoken against any individuals working with foreign countries in any capacity as they see it as betrayal against their own country. When I was deployed me and my fellow marines would often form close bonds with our interpreters and local contractors as we interacted everyday. Many times I remember them being scared about retaliation from terror groups and on some occasions the local contractors would go missing and we would often fear the worst had happened.

7. Public health under the Taliban

A check up at an Afghanistan hosptial

Over the past two decades general health for the Afghans has improved dramatically. Hospitals improved their ability to care for the sick and infant and child mortality rates dropped dramatically. Since the complete takeover of the Taliban almost all foreign organizations have frozen all funds going into the Afghan healthcare system. This has already led to many healthcare workers working unpaid and a large restriction on the medical supply. Unless the Taliban are able to show that they will not misuse foreign funds meant for healthcare it is unlikely that many of these organizations will resume donations.

Conclusion

Under the new Taliban regime the local population is going to undergo many hardships that many of them are unfortunately all too familiar with. Women and children will be most affected by this new authoritarian government as they will almost certainly lose all their rights and have little to no access to a healthcare system. Even though this may not impact most people around the world it is still important to care, as the Afghan people have endured so much and now they must endure Taliban rule again. There is no easy solution to this problem and it is uncertain if anything will ever change in Afghanistan again. My research question is “ How will life for the local Afghanistan population be affected by the new Taliban regime?”

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