Five years after the Taliban regained power, Afghanistan faces mounting humanitarian pressure and economic fragility that threaten stability, Bruno Lemarquis, the U.N. deputy special representative and resident coordinator in Afghanistan, said Friday, Anadolu Agency reported.
Lemarquis said the authorities now hold firmer control while continuing to impose restrictive rules. He said curbs on basic freedoms, especially for women and girls, have kept Afghanistan isolated internationally. He characterized the country as economically fragile and under serious humanitarian pressure, though it retains a measure of security and stability.
He said the rules have narrowed women’s ability to pursue education and work, earn a livelihood, use essential services and take part in public life. He singled out girls’ exclusion from secondary school, saying more than 2.6 million are affected.
Lemarquis pointed to more Afghans returning and worsening humanitarian conditions. He called the situation acute.
EconoTimes has previously covered closures and suspensions at nutrition sites and Afghanistan’s winter food outlook.
He said insufficient international support may compound hardship by deepening poverty, weakening essential services and obstructing returnees’ reintegration. The consequences may also cross Afghanistan’s borders, with possible implications for regional security and stability.
Lemarquis urged continued international engagement, saying, “Now is not the time for the international community to turn its back on Afghanistan.”
