The New York Times, 12 May 2020 “When 16 rockets were fired at a small American base in southern Afghanistan last fall, the Taliban trumpeted the attack as a blood bath, claiming they had killed “tens” of Americans. The U.S.-led mission in Kabul downplayed it. (….) The rockets were inaccurate and injured two Afghan civilians, […]
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Medium.com, 5 May 2020 David Mansfield’s overview over the impact the coronacrisis will have on the supply chain for illicit goods and the funds available to armed actors, criminals and insurgents. He looks at the smuggling business at Afghanistan’s borders, with special insights into Nangrahar and Nimruz provinces. On growing drugs: “all areas where the opium crop […]
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Foreign Policy, 4 May 2020 “What’s different this time, villagers say, is many of the fighters’ own sisters and daughters are attending” – a reportage on girls at school from Badikhel, in southeastern Afghanistan (province not mentioned).
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UNAMA, 27 April 2020 From 1 January to 31 March 2020, UNAMA documented 1,293 civilian casualties (533 killed and 760 injured) – one third women and children –, highlighting that the conflict in Afghanistan continues to be one of the deadliest in the world for civilians. The overall number of civilian casualties in the first […]
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The Guardian, 21 April 2020 Since Herat was put in lockdown two weeks ago, work of healthcare workers helping victims of domestic abuse has ground to a halt and many of the women they were trying to protect have disappeared. “In a country where violence against women is endemic, Herat has some of the highest […]
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Stability Operations Magazine, 20 April 2020 In an exclusive 1TV interview after taking oath as First Vice-President, Amrullah Saleh made a confident statement, claiming the government has put a set of firm measures and precautions in place — while sharing no details on how they work — to reduce the infection rate of the pandemic […]
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AFP, 20 April 2020 The story of a “rare female face in Afghanistan’s male-dominated business world,” Zuhal Atmar talks about the odds of her business, also beyond the Corona crisis: “To get a loan, you need a guarantor, a business partner, and of course collateral,” she said. “Women don’t usually have access to any of […]
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Reuters, 7 April 2020 “Afghanistan’s child workers are forced to stay at home due to the COVID-19 lockdown, with families concerned about how they will earn money now” – a reportage by Stefanie Glinski.
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USIP, 16 September 2019 In the context of Barnett Rubin’s call not to abandon Afghanistan in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, also read this background on pressure on aid for Afghanistan: … international discussions continue on the economic aid that will be vital to stabilizing Afghanistan under any peace deal. Yet the Afghan government […]
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Foreign Policy, 26 March 2020 This article is important as it lays out the already dire socio-economic situation of Afghanistan and possible consequences of a complete US aid cut, but also for its call to go multilateral, involve the UN and ease Iran sanctions to advance peace in Afghanistan.
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Pajhwok Afghan News, 19 March 2020 Residents have accused the police chief for Wazikhwa district of southeastern Paktika province being involved in killing and beating innocent citizens, drug smuggling and extorting money from Hashish farmers. Arrest warrants have not been carried out. 1st Cor. Barat, 26, has before served as police commander for Janikhel district. He […]
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Responsible Statecraft, 13 March 2020 An analysis by Prof. Barnett R Rubin, looking at factors such as the release of prisoners, ceasefire and intra-Afghan negotiations. He concludes: The pandemic makes it even more important to end the war. (…) But measures to control the spread of the pandemic could make it even more difficult to […]
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