Topic: 2024-Situation in Afghanistan
Country: United States of America
Delegate Name: Maya Comer
Afghanistan, once regarded as a success story for democracy, slid into turmoil in August 2021 when the Taliban took over after U.S. troops withdrew from the country. The UN-backed government collapsed, and many Afghan soldiers either fled or joined extremist militias. The Taliban rule has severely restricted women’s rights; banning girls from attending school, harshly enforcing dress codes, and developing mahram laws. They have introduced public floggings and executions, inspiring widespread terror among the Afghan people. The Taliban’s extremist rule has caused many countries to remove crucial humanitarian aid from Afghanistan altogether: “The loss of foreign development aid and Taliban rights violations have caused a catastrophic health crisis in Afghanistan that is disproportionately harming women and girls,” says an expert at Human Rights Watch.
The United States first brought troops to Afghanistan following 9/11, and sustained over 57,000 military casualties over the next twenty years. Facing public disapproval over the costly and unproductive war, U.S. officials signed a pact with the Afghan government in 2020 to withdraw troops within fourteen months. Following the disastrous withdrawal and subsequent government collapse, the United States has ceased all humanitarian and military operations in Afghanistan so as not to provoke or legitimize the Taliban. The factor most attributed to the Taliban’s takeover was the Afghan military’s dependence on American support. The military was left weak and unstructured following the United States withdrawal, leaving it vulnerable to a coordinated effort such as that exercised by the Taliban. The U.S., along with the rest of the Security Council, has expressed concern for the myriad crises the citizens of Afghanistan face, especially regarding the welfare of girls and women. The U.N. has noted that solely humanitarian responses to the crisis are insufficient to address it, but has not yet endorsed a specific action plan.
The United States is in agreement with the United Nations that solely humanitarian efforts cannot ameliorate the abuses faced by Afghan civilians, especially girls and women. While the U.S. has pledged not to intervene militarily unless actions by the ruling Taliban or terrorist groups like al-Qaeda or ISIS-K directly threaten American citizens, the U.S. will stand behind any effort to reinstate the Afghan government. The Taliban seized power illegitimately, and serves as a dire threat to the livelihoods of millions of people. It is not an organization with which the United States can negotiate in good conscience. It is the prerogative of the Afghan people, with the support of the United Nations, to stand in solidarity against the Taliban. The people must show the Taliban that they require certain conditions to survive, at risk of civil unrest. The United States believes that the Taliban’s regime is so draconian that it becomes untenable, and a revolution, powered by the women of Afghanistan, is in order. The U.S. urges the Security Council to welcome it when it comes.
Works Cited
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“Afghanistan: Aid Cutbacks, Taliban Abuses Imperil Health.” Human Rights Watch, 12 Feb. 2024, www.hrw.org/news/2024/02/12/afghanistan-aid-cutbacks-taliban-abuses-imperil-health. Accessed 16 Feb. 2024.
Faiez, Rahim. “Foreign Aid Drops Sharply as Taliban Abuses Jeopardize the Afghan Health System, Group Says.” AP News, Associated Press, 12 Feb. 2024, apnews.com/article/hrw-foreign-aid-afghan-health-taliban-e7202c08f2ad4f6eeed3df20f55d343a. Accessed 16 Feb. 2024.
“Instability in Afghanistan.” Global Conflict Tracker, Center for Preventative Action, 17 Aug. 2023, www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/war-afghanistan#:~:text=Afghans%20are%20also%20suffering%20from,finance%20humanitarian%20assistance%20for%20Afghanistan. Accessed 16 Feb. 2024.
“Joint Declaration between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the United States of America for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan.” U.S. Department of State, 29 Feb. 2020, www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/02.29.20-US-Afghanistan-Joint-Declaration.pdf. Accessed 16 Feb. 2024.
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