Taliban may not 'announce new govt until at least 31 August', awaits full withdrawal of US troops

An Afghan official familiar with talks with the Taliban said the group does not plan to make any decisions or announcements about the upcoming government until after the 31 August US withdrawal date passes.

The official, who is not authorised to give information to the media and thus spoke anonymously, said Taliban lead negotiator Anas Haqqani has told his ex-government interlocutors that the insurgent movement has a deal with the US to do nothing until after the final withdrawal date passes.

He did not elaborate on whether the reference to doing nothing was only in the political field. Haqqani’s statement raises concerns about what the religious movement might be planning after 31 August, and whether they will keep their promise to include non-Taliban officials in the next government.

Until now the Taliban have said nothing of their plans to replace the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, or what a replacement would look like.

Food agency warns of hunger in Afghan conflict

The head of the UN food agency in Afghanistan said a humanitarian crisis is unfolding with 14 million people facing severe hunger following the Taliban takeover of the country.

Mary Ellen McGroarty, the World Food Program’s country director, said in a video briefing to UN correspondents from Kabul on Wednesday that the conflict in Afghanistan, the nation’s second severe drought in three years, and the social and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic have pushed an already dire situation into a “catastrophe”.

McGroarty said over 40 percent of crops have been lost and livestock devastated by the drought, hundreds of thousands of people were displaced as the Taliban advanced, and winter is fast approaching. “Really the race is on to get food where it’s most needed,” she said.

WFP reached 4 million people in May and plans to scale up to reach 9 million “over the next couple of months, but there are many, many challenges,” she said.

McGroarty called for a halt to the conflict and urged donors to provide the $200 million needed to get food into the country so it can get to communities before winter sets in and roads are blocked.

Taliban suppress more dissent as economic challenges loom

The Taliban violently dispersed scattered protests for a second day Thursday amid warnings that Afghanistan’s already weakened economy could crumble further without the massive international aid that sustained the toppled Western-backed government.

The Taliban have sought to project moderation and say they want good relations with the international community, but they will face a difficult balancing act in making concessions to the West, satisfying their own hard-line followers and suppressing dissent.

A UN official warned of dire food shortages, and experts said the country was severely in need of cash, while noting that the Taliban are unlikely to enjoy the generous international aid that made up most of the ousted government’s budget.