Afghanistan's economic crisis deepens as airlift winds down

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KABUL – Hundreds of Afghans protested extracurricular a slope successful Kabul connected Saturday and others formed agelong lines astatine currency machines arsenic a U.N. bureau warned that a worsening drought could permission millions successful request of humanitarian aid.

At the Kabul airport, thousands are inactive gathering successful anticipation of fleeing the country, adjacent aft a termination onslaught connected Thursday killed 169 Afghans and 13 U.S. work members and amid warnings of much attacks. The monolithic U.S.-led airlift is winding down, with galore Western nations having completed their ain evacuation efforts up of Tuesday’s deadline.

The economical crisis, which predates the Taliban takeover earlier this month, could springiness Western nations leverage arsenic they impulse Afghanistan's caller rulers to signifier a moderate, inclusive authorities and let radical to permission aft the planned withdrawal of U.S. forces connected Aug. 31.

Afghanistan is heavy babelike connected planetary aid, which covered astir 75% of the Western-backed government's budget. The Taliban person said they privation bully relations with the planetary assemblage and person promised a much mean signifier of Islamic regularisation than erstwhile they past governed the country, but galore Afghans are profoundly skeptical.

The protesters astatine New Kabul Bank included galore civilian servants demanding their salaries, which they said had not been paid for the past 3 to six months. They said adjacent though banks reopened 3 days agone nary 1 has been capable to retreat cash. ATM machines are inactive operating, but withdrawals are constricted to astir $200 each 24 hours, contributing to the enactment of agelong lines.

A U.N. bureau meantime warned that a worsening drought threatens the livelihoods of much than 7 cardinal people. The Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organization said Afghans are besides suffering from the coronavirus pandemic and displacement from the caller fighting.

Earlier this month, the U.N. World Food Program estimated that immoderate 14 cardinal radical — astir 1 retired of each 3 Afghans — urgently request nutrient assistance.

The FAO said that important assistance is needed up of the wintertime wheat planting season, which begins successful a period successful galore areas. So far, backing would screen assistance to lone 110,000 families of farmers, portion immoderate 1.5 cardinal request help, the bureau said, adding that the existent harvest is expected to beryllium 20% beneath past year's.

President Joe Biden has said helium volition adhere to a self-imposed Aug. 31 deadline for withdrawing each U.S. forces. The Taliban, who power astir the full state extracurricular Kabul's airport, person rejected immoderate extension.

Italy said its last evacuation formation had landed successful Rome but that it would enactment with the United Nations and countries bordering Afghanistan to proceed helping Afghans who had worked with its subject contingent to permission the country.

“Our imperative indispensable beryllium to not wantonness the Afghan people,” particularly women and children, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said Saturday. He said 4,890 Afghans were evacuated by Italy’s aerial unit connected 87 flights, but did not accidental however galore others were inactive eligible.

The Taliban person encouraged Afghans to enactment successful the country, pledging amnesty adjacent to those who fought against them. They person said commercialized flights volition resume aft the U.S. withdrawal, but it's unclear if airlines volition beryllium consenting to connection service.

The U.S. and its allies person said they volition proceed providing humanitarian assistance done the U.N. and different partners, but immoderate broader engagement — including improvement assistance — is apt to hinge connected whether the Taliban present connected their promises of much mean rule.

When the Taliban past governed Afghanistan, from 1996 until the U.S.-led penetration successful 2001, they imposed a harsh mentation of Islamic law. Women were mostly confined to their homes, tv and euphony were banned, and suspected criminals were maimed oregon executed successful public.

This time, the Taliban accidental women volition beryllium allowed to be schoolhouse and enactment extracurricular the home. They person been negotiating with elder Afghan officials from erstwhile governments and accidental they privation an “inclusive, Islamic government."

But adjacent arsenic the group's apical enactment has struck a much mean tone, determination person been reports of quality rights abuses successful areas nether Taliban control. It's unclear whether fighters are acting nether orders oregon connected their own.

Taliban fighters bushed up a cameraman for the backstage broadcaster Tolo TV earlier this week successful Kabul. Saad Mohseni, the CEO of the radical that owns the channel, said the Taliban person been successful interaction with the station's absorption astir the incident. He said the combatant has been identified, but it's unclear if helium has faced immoderate disciplinary action. There was nary remark from the Taliban.

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Faiez reported from Istanbul and Krauss from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Frances D'Emilio successful Rome and Kathy Gannon successful Islamabad contributed.

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More of AP’s Afghanistan coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/afghanistan

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