Foreign Aid Cuts and Taliban Restrictions Compound Afghanistan’s Healthcare Crisis

Human Rights Watch highlighted the dire situation in Afghanistan’s public health system, attributing it to a significant reduction in foreign assistance and severe Taliban abuses against women and girls. The report underscores the vulnerability of the Afghan population to malnutrition and illness due to inadequate medical care.

With foreign aid diminishing sharply after the Taliban takeover in 2021, coupled with sanctions and frozen assets, access to global institutions and external funds vital for the aid-dependent economy has been severely restricted. Taliban-imposed restrictions on women’s freedom and education have disproportionately affected their access to healthcare, exacerbating the crisis.

The loss of foreign development aid and Taliban violations have led to catastrophic consequences, disproportionately impacting women and girls, according to Human Rights Watch. The situation demands urgent and sustainable efforts to address the economic decline and alleviate the immense suffering of the Afghan population beyond mere humanitarian aid.