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USACE Afghanistan Engineer District-South | CC BY-SA 2.0

AFGHANISTAN

In-depth resources on Afghanistan's history, the War Against the Taliban, human rights abuses, the plight of Afghan women, corruption, and the opium trade.

A group of children and adults in traditional clothing, gathered in a rocky desert landscape, while soldiers and vehicles are in the background.
USACE Afghanistan Engineer District-South | CC BY-SA 2.0

AFGHANISTAN - Almost Continuous Conflict For 5 Decades

Discover the complex history of Afghanistan’s nearly 47 years of persistent conflict and explore essential resources to understand its impact on the Afghan people in a country so rich in culture, beauty, diversity, and key natural resources.

Discover in-depth coverage of crucial historical turning points, including the Soviet war, the 2001 U.S. invasion, and the eventual Taliban takeover that led to a devastating rollback of rights for women and girls.

Decades of foreign interference and fractured, lacklustre peace efforts have failed to establish lasting stability. Deeply entrenched corruption, historical warlords, and the illicit opium trade have devastated the nation's political, economic, and social landscape.

  • Over 21.9 million people, nearly 45% of Afghanistan's population, are in urgent need of humanitarian aid.
  • An estimated 2 million people have lost their lives across the decades of Soviet occupation, civil war, and the post-2001 conflict.
  • During 2001-2021 roughly 66,000 to 73,000 Afghan military and police were killed.
  • At its peak, up to 5 million Afghan people were living as refugees (primarily in Pakistan and Iran).
  • Over 28% of the population faces acute undernutrition. Rampant food insecurity is exacerbated by collapsed public finances, international sanctions, and severe drought.
  • When the Taliban seized power in 2021, the freezing of central bank assets led to an immediate economic contraction of roughly 25%.
  • Decades of fighting have left widespread destruction, heavy contamination from unexploded ordnance and landmines, and severe rollbacks in rights and education.

With Better World Info, connect with valuable resources, including investigative reports on the farce of past elections, directories detailing the work of humanitarian NGOs, and critical insights into Afghanistan’s severe economic collapse and pressing human rights issues.

Use this platform to deepen your understanding of the ongoing crisis, advocate for vulnerable populations and refugees, and support international aid efforts dedicated to delivering urgently needed relief.

Hot Topics

Military personnel operate artillery in a desert setting, with smoke in the background and shells stacked nearby.
Picryl | Public Domain

9/11 Attacks & The U.S War On Terror

Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the U.S. launched the sweeping military, intelligence, and geopolitical campaign known as the War on Terror, which transformed global security and created staggering financial and human casualties. 20 years of post-9/11 wars have cost the U.S. an estimated $8 trillion, killed more than 900,000 people, and displaced 38 million. War IS terror!

9/11 Attacks & The U.S War On Terror
A diverse crowd of protesters holds signs, some with flags, during a demonstration in a city street, with sunlight filtering through.
Der Südstern | Public Domain

Human Rights In Afghanistan

Afghanistan has been in the grip of a humanitarian crisis for decades, and the situation has only worsened under Taliban control. It is marked by systemic repression, the total marginalisation of women, severe restrictions on movement and expression, widespread arbitrary arrests, a judicial system based on Sharia law, harsh discrimination against minorities, and sweeping suppression of the media.

Human Rights In Afghanistan
A group of women in blue burqas sit closely together, while a child in colorful clothing sits nearby holding a teddy bear.
USAID | CC0

Extreme Systemic Marginalisation Of Women

Following the Taliban's return to power, over 100 restrictive orders were issued, removing the rights of women and girls excluding them totally from public life. Women cannot travel or leave the home without male guardianship; they are barred from secondary education; almost 30% are married before the age of 18; and they are banned from all political roles. Amnesty has described it as gender apartheid.

Extreme Systemic Marginalisation Of Women