ARD-Tagesschau, 15 August 2025
In this article that looks at the general situation in Afghanistan, AAN’s Thomas Ruttig is quoted extensively:
The effects of this decision [by Trump to dismantle USAID and stop many aid programmes worldwide] are dramatic, says Afghanistan expert Thomas Ruttig. The co-founder of the Afghanistan Analysts Network (…) confirms that local and international organizations in Afghanistan have already had to discontinue certain projects and programmes. “New ones almost daily,” says Ruttig.
(…) “If the USA now also undermines the few remaining humanitarian survival strategies, then it will be truly catastrophic in potency,” says Ruttig.
(…)
Aid organizations (…) [i]n Kabul and some provinces, (…) have been able to negotiate exceptions with the Taliban, but these are extremely fragile, says Ruttig. “They don’t like to talk about these niches, because if the wrong person in the Taliban finds out, these niches will quickly disappear again.”
(…)
According to Ruttig, the situation for [women and girls] is worse than ever before and, with a few exceptions, worse than anywhere else in the world. A particularly visible symbol of this oppression: girls are only allowed to go to school up to and including sixth grade. They are denied education and university.
(…)
Despite serious human rights violations and a deep economic crisis, there is little prospect of rapid change. “I don’t see any real alternative to the Taliban, which could lead to their regime remaining in place for a while,” says Afghanistan expert Ruttig. A look at neighboring Iran shows how long something like this can take, despite a much stronger opposition there.
Revisions:
This article was last updated on 16 Feb 2025
