Four Years After Taliban Return, Afghanistan Faces Rising Maternal Deaths, Mine Injuries, Refugee Crisis, and UN Calls to Reject Regime

Four years after the Taliban regained control of Kabul in August 2021, Afghanistan remains entrenched in a deep humanitarian and socio-economic crisis. Emergency rooms continue to treat children injured by landmines, while aid reductions and Taliban restrictions on female healthcare workers have contributed to a near 50% increase in maternal mortality. The Taliban's return to power has been marked by ongoing violence and authoritarian governance, prompting UN experts to urge the international community to reject and avoid normalizing the regime. The crisis has also severely impacted refugees, with many facing forced repatriation from neighboring countries and subsequent persecution and hardship in Afghanistan. Despite these challenges, the Taliban announced plans to commemorate their fourth anniversary in power by showering Kabul with flowers from helicopters. Regional and global actors, including India, have been called upon to advocate for the rights of Afghan girls amid the deteriorating conditions.