August 15, 2022
Cited article by The Guardian
YouTube segment by Last Week Tonight here
HRRC calls for the immediate support of civilians in Afghanistan. The analysis provided by John Oliver and Last Week Tonight presents the dire situation in Afghanistan while under the rule of the Taliban. The Taliban must reestablish the rights of all civilians and work to obtain financial support for the country to survive.
Article Summary
On his HBO show Last Week Tonight, John Oliver discussed at length how things in Afghanistan a year after the U.S. withdrawal are worse than most realize. Within the first six months of Taliban rule, nearly 500 former U.S. allies and Afghan government officials have been killed or forcibly disappeared. Additionally, despite early statements in support of women's rights, the Taliban has prevented girls from receiving secondary school education and prevented women from working in any role a man could perform.
Afghanistan has also faced repeated natural disasters, including earthquakes, a drought, and now flooding. The Taliban has shown to be ill-equipped to respond to such disasters. The country now faces an economic disaster as 73% of its former budget came from foreign aid and grants that are now frozen due to the Taliban's control. While food is available, the ability to pay for goods is extremely difficult and one million children face malnourishment and starvation, with many parents forced to sell one of their children or their own organs to provide food for the rest of their family.
John Oliver continues to highlight that, while it is understandable to be cautious to provide money to Afghanistan for fear of funding the Taliban, without any aid, “Millions of Afghans will suffer and die under a government they did not choose. The reality is there is no one simple solution here that is not without risks, but 38 million people’s lives are at stake.”