The Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in August 2021 has resulted in rapid economic decline, rampant inflation, rising hunger and malnutrition, and widespread human rights abuses, including an intensive crackdown on women and girls’ participation in public life. Today, 28.3 million Afghans need urgent humanitarian assistance. The Taliban’s newest edict against female aid workers has further constrained an already extraordinarily difficult operating environment, limiting humanitarian workers’ ability to reach vulnerable populations and challenging the international community's ability to continue to provide assistance in a principled way.
This panel will explore how aid organizations on the ground are responding to these challenges and assess how the international community can support both human rights and the provision of vital humanitarian aid.
