UN warns of Afghan food crisis as Taliban parades seize weapons | Taliban news

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The United Nations warns that Afghanistan could face a food crisis within a month, leaving one in three people hungry, as the country’s Taliban leaders try to form a new government to rule the country.

“The situation … from a humanitarian point of view continues to be extremely tense,” Ramiz Alakbarov, UN humanitarian coordinator in Afghanistan, said on Wednesday, adding that more than half of the country’s children are already struggling. to find the next meal.

Al Jazeera has learned that food prices in Afghanistan have risen by around 50 percent, and oil by up to 75 percent, in recent days.

With most international aid closed, Alakbarov said government services cannot function and public employees do not receive their salaries.

The Taliban have not yet formed a new government, and their international recognition remains in question, preventing the resumption of foreign aid.

Earlier on Wednesday, the group marched some of the military equipment into Kandahar, including Humvees and armored fighting vehicles they captured during their takeover of Afghanistan.

At least one Black Hawk helicopter has also been reported flying over Kandahar in recent days, suggesting someone from the former Afghan army was in control as the Taliban is running out of pilots, according to the AFP news agency.

Meanwhile, a Qatar Airways flight has landed in Kabul with a team that will help restore the airport to function as a lifeline for aid.

Here are the latest updates:

Afghan TV morning show picks up with host

An Afghan morning show on the country’s main television channel, TOLO TV, has resumed broadcasting, with a host, according to a company executive.

Saad Mohseni, director of the MOBY group which operates the TOLO channel, posted the news on social media on Thursday.

Some fear that the Taliban will limit women’s public participation. In the past, the Taliban called TOLO TV a propaganda network.

Fighting reported in Afghanistan’s Panjshir Valley

Fighting between Afghan Taliban forces and those opposing their regime has been reported in the country’s Panjshir Valley, according to a social media post by Muhammad Jalal, a senior Taliban official.

He said “a dozen positions have been taken” by the government, but Al Jazeera could not independently verify his statement.

The Panjshir Valley, in the Hindu Kush Mountains north of the capital Kabul, has long been the heart of military resistance in Afghanistan. Since mid-August, forces opposed to the Taliban have gathered in the valley under the leadership of Ahmad Massoud, son of the famous Afghan resistance fighter Ahmad Shah Massoud.

Fitch: Chaotic US exit risks crushing Afghan economy

The Afghan economy is likely to collapse following the rapid withdrawal of US forces and the return of the Taliban to power, the Reuters news agency reported citing Fitch Solutions.

Fitch now expects the country’s real gross domestic product (GDP) to decline 9.7 percent this fiscal year, with a further decline of 5.2 percent next year.

“The very disruptive way in which US security forces left the country and the Taliban takeover will mean that the economic pains for the country will be acute in the short term,” analysts said in a Fitch report. Solutions, the research arm of Fitch Solutions. the rating agency Fitch Group.

“The risks to this forecast are weighted down, as other economies have faced similar types of political shocks that have also led to institutional collapse.”

Nurses take care of patients at Wazir Akbar Khan hospital in Kabul on Wednesday [Aamir Qureshi/AFP]

The situation in Afghanistan is dire: former US Treasury official

The former US Treasury financial attaché in Kabul blamed the Taliban for the “catastrophic” situation in Afghanistan, saying their “violent takeover” of the country had resulted in the current economic crisis.

“The situation in Afghanistan is quite dramatic right now. Even before this crisis, many Afghans were already living well below the poverty line, ”Alex Zerden told Al Jazeera.

“The situation we find ourselves in today is directly caused by the withdrawal of the Taliban from peaceful negotiations… and their violent takeover of Afghanistan. Unfortunately, their misguided actions have dire consequences. “

Al Jazeera has learned that in recent days food prices in Afghanistan have risen by around 50 percent, while oil has risen by as much as 75 percent. [West Asia News Agency via Reuters]

Taliban fight Afghan economy amid chaos and humanitarian crisis

Afghanistan’s new Taliban leadership is fighting to keep the country functioning after the final withdrawal of US forces, according to Reuters, with foreign donors alarmed by a looming humanitarian crisis.

Prices skyrocketed and crowds gathered at banks to withdraw cash.

Taliban-appointed new central bank chief Haji Mohammad Idris has sought to reassure banks that the group wants a fully functioning financial system, but has so far given few details on the how it will provide him with funds, bankers familiar with the matter told Reuters. .

The Taliban ordered the banks to reopen, but strict weekly limits on withdrawals were imposed.

Fears increased for Hazaras’ safety after Taliban takeover

The security of the Afghan minority community Hazara could be threatened following the takeover of the Taliban group in the country.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Abdul Ghafoor, director of the Afghan Migrant Counseling and Support Organization, revealed that at least 14 Hazaras were killed after surrendering to the Taliban in Daikundi province.

“There is no amnesty so that no one is honest with you. They attack journalists, they attack activists, people who were in government, ”he said.

Influential US lawmaker says recognition of Taliban is possible

Gregory Meeks, Democratic chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he would not rule out recognizing a Taliban-led government in the future, but stressed that the group must live up to its commitments on respect for human rights.

Speaking to MSNBC, Meeks said relations with the Vietnamese government were once considered impossible after the United States pulled out of the country, but Washington now has a warm relationship with Hanoi.

“So you never say never, but there are a lot of things the Taliban has to do to show that they are really going to stand up for the principles of… human rights,” Meeks said.

US plans overland routes to continue evacuations

The United States is exploring ways to evacuate U.S. citizens and their Afghan allies, including by land, U.S. officials said.

US Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland said the Biden administration was engaged in “intensive diplomatic work underway” to help US citizens and their Afghan allies wishing to leave Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover.

“We are looking at all possible options – air routes, land routes,” she said.

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