Five years after Kabul fell, the reckoning over Afghanistan is far from over

The Taliban has been in power in Afghanistan for five years, having seized control of the country following the chaotic withdrawal of US-led troops. The group's strict, authoritarian fundamentalist regime has resulted in the systematic erasure of women from public life, suppression of free media and dissent, and enforcement of rigid moral codes.

According to Egypt Independent, humanitarian aid to Afghanistan has been dramatically cut by international donors since the Taliban returned to power, with women and girls bearing the brunt of those cuts.

The Taliban's rule has also led to a worsening human rights record, drawing sanctions and aid cuts from various countries. Despite this, some countries are engaging with the Taliban, as reported by RFI English. The group's anniversary has been marked with celebrations, including a cricket match and other sports events, which girls and women are banned from attending, as per Hindustan Times - World News.

The situation in Afghanistan remains dire, with millions of children at risk of starvation and women and girls stripped of their fundamental rights. The country's humanitarian emergency has been described as one of the world's worst, with the US, once the top provider of assistance, no longer ranking among the top five donor nations, according to Egypt Independent.

The Taliban's efforts have successfully erased half the population from public life, making Afghanistan one of the world's most dangerous places to be a woman, as described by a former Special Inspector General.

Brief written by urgent.news from CBC News, RFI English, France 24, Egypt Independent, Hindustan Times - World News — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.