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| Hey there, OnPolitics readers! |
| Since the United States completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan one year ago on Aug. 30, 2021, life in the nation has been transformed for many into a daily struggle for survival, marked by rampant unemployment, homelessness, hunger and fear. |
| Most of the attention from the West has focused on the Taliban's draconian social restrictions on women, girls and minorities, said Vali Nasr, a professor of Middle East Studies at Johns Hopkins, after the Taliban barred girls from attending school after age 12 and eliminated many women's personal freedoms. |
| But the top concern in Afghanistan today is the economy. An estimated 700,000 have lost jobs since the U.S. withdrawal, which in turn affects the livelihood of millions. |
| "Since our departure, (the U.S.) has been very good at criticizing the Taliban's role in restricting the cultural space in Afghanistan," Nasr said. "But basically, we've been completely oblivious to the fact that our sanctions and the economic situation of Afghanistan is destroying the middle class." |
| It's Ella and Amy with a special edition of OnPolitics marking the one year anniversary of the U.S.' withdrawal from Afghanistan – and Kabul's fall to the Taliban. |
Women in Afghanistan cope with fear, loss of rights under Taliban |
| Just a year ago, Soha's life was filled with opportunity. But the fall of Afghanistan last August – the hasty retreat of U.S. and allied troops, and the Taliban's resurgence – changed everything. |
| "With the return of the Taliban, I lost everything: my friends, my life, my basic rights, my work – the chances of going for a picnic," the 33-year-old woman said in an interview with USA TODAY. She, along with other Afghan women interviewed, asked that only their first names only be used. |
| Across Afghanistan, women like Soha have seen their lives altered in unthinkable ways in the year since the Taliban returned to rule the country following two decades of war. |
| A report last month by the human rights group Amnesty International cataloged the hardships inflicted upon women and girls under the Islamic militant regime. The organization interviewed more than 100 women and girls, as well as staff members of Taliban-run detention centers, international experts and journalists. |
| The 98-page report's description of their lives under Taliban rule: "Death in slow motion." |
Real quick: stories you'll want to read |
| • | Power vacuum in Kabul: Biden said the drone strike that killed an al-Qaida leader is vindication of his decision to withdraw from Afghanistan. Experts say it highlights the vacuum created by the U.S. exit. | | • | Green Beret to the rescue: When Matt Coburn retired from the U.S. Army in spring 2021 after six deployments to Afghanistan, the Green Beret was ready to leave the war behind. But a year after the U.S. withdrawal, Afghanistan has come to him. | | • | How the withdrawal hurt Biden: The chaotic U.S. exit from Afghanistan, ending a 20-year conflict, undercut Biden's pledge to restore competence to the White House. One year later, it hangs over the Democratic president. | | • | Images from Afghanistan: See photos from the ground in Afghanistan, where the Taliban celebrated one year of rule over the country. | |
Afghan allies were left behind after U.S. withdrawal find hard path to safety |
| One year after the U.S. evacuated more than 76,000 Afghans to the United States at the end of its 20-year war, refugee advocates say tens of thousands of Afghan allies who would likely qualify for U.S. protection – reaching into the hundreds of thousands when their family members are included – are still struggling to reach safety. |
| Despite recent U.S. efforts to speed relocations, their paths have been bogged down by bureaucratic backlogs, humanitarian parole denials and the logistical barriers of third-country visa processing in the absence of a U.S. Consulate in Afghanistan, advocates say. |
| "The stark reality is that we left a stunning number of Afghan allies behind," said Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, president of the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, who argued the U.S. "is still struggling to keep its promise to those who served alongside us in America's longest war." |
| How many allies are left? It's not clear exactly how many Afghans and their families remain at risk in Afghanistan or third countries after working for the U.S. government, media, and Western-backed aid groups or organizations supporting U.S. goals, such as democracy and women's rights. |
| But there could be 200,000 to 300,000 people, including family members, who would qualify for special immigrant visas or a priority refugee resettlement program, said Shawn VanDiver, founder of #AfghanEvac, a coalition of veterans, nonprofits, current and former national security and intelligence members, and congressional staffers. |
| What has the Biden administration done? The Biden administration has sought to accelerate processing through various immigration channels, adding staff and easing several criteria that critics said were unnecessary barriers. Since late March, the U.S. has also supported travel for about 5,500 eligible Afghans on relocation flights from Kabul, according to the State Department. |
| Is the US housing market in a recession or a correction? 🏠 Experts weigh in on the market's mixed signals. -- Amy and Ella |
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