Taliban mark five years in power as aid groups warn of crisis — SkimNews
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- The Taliban marked five years in power on Saturday with armoured vehicles parading outside the former U.S. embassy in Kabul, celebrating what the government called "victory day" from Western domination.
- Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani acknowledged in a video address that "issues and problems may still exist," while crediting their return to power to "morale, courage" and "divine assistance."
- The Taliban government has barred 2.5 million girls and women from secondary schools and universities since 2021, according to UNESCO, and UN Women data shows half of Afghan women now leave home only once or twice a month.
- Afghanistan's humanitarian needs have reached a record level, the International Rescue Committee warned, driven by droughts, deadly earthquakes, and mass deportations from Iran and Pakistan, with the number of Afghans needing assistance rising by 3.5 million since 2021.
- The Taliban remain internationally unrecognised, with Russia the only country to formally recognise the government, while relations with Pakistan have soured over Islamabad's accusations that Kabul shelters Pakistani insurgents.
- A string of assassinations of regional officials has hit the Taliban in recent weeks, including the information director in Badakhshan killed in late July in an attack claimed by Islamic State, followed by the death of the provincial capital's mayor in an attack on Thursday.
- The Taliban have made quiet diplomatic inroads, with anniversary ceremonies expected in Pakistan, China, Uzbekistan, Iran, Turkey, and Malaysia, and with Kabul increasingly pushing for deportation arrangements with European nations.
Why it matters: The Taliban's five-year milestone exposes a widening gap between their 'victory day' messaging and record humanitarian needs, with only Russia recognising the government, Pakistan ties fraying, and 2.5 million girls shut out of school. The diplomatic courtship of China, Iran, and Turkey for deportation deals suggests Kabul's survival now depends on pragmatic bilateral engagement rather than international legitimacy.
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