Afghanistan: Nannini (Emergency), ‘Taliban do not hinder us, economic crisis bites’

Upon arrival at Kabul airport, the first thing you see are “so many children begging, as never before”, an image that well represents the situation in Afghanistan today, a country in the throes of a “huge economic crisis” and that, although it sees an improvement in security conditions, it faces 20 years of violence and “shortsighted policies” of the West. Emanuele Nannini, coordinator of the Emergency program in Afghanistan, knows well the country which according to the UN will see 97% of the population in poverty by mid-2022, and in an interview with Aki-Adnkronos International he explains the phase it is going through almost five months after the Taliban seizure of power and the chaotic withdrawal of Western forces from Kabul. In the three hospitals – two of which dedicated to war victims – and in the 46 clinics scattered throughout 11 provinces that Emergency manages, present in the country since 1999, there is “certainly a reduction in admissions” due to a substantial decrease in fighting, declares Nannini, pointing out however that “violence remains a fairly important characteristic” and is linked in particular to three factors: the pockets of resistance to the Taliban present in particular in the Panshir Valley, the frictions within the Taliban movement itself and the crisis economic situation that bites and that “is bringing the country to its knees”, with people not making it to the end of the month due to very high inflation. It is precisely on this last factor, “also a consequence of the blockade of humanitarian funds and the freezing of international aid” which contributed up to almost 80% of the previous government’s budget and which financed hospitals, schools, factories and ministries. attention of the head of Emergency in the country. “In our hospital in Kabul, more and more patients for gunshot wounds are being admitted” as a result of the increase in crime, Nannini underlines, according to which Afghanistan today “is unable to provide services” also due to the “brain drain. “taken after the ‘Koranic students’ came to power. This is a country that” produces nothing “and that pays the consequences of a” military occupation that has spent money on weapons but has not built a factory “, continues the head of Emergency, noting how a “cascade of problems” is being overturned on the population, the result not so much of the return of the Taliban as the consequences of 20 years of war and which are clearly visible in the health system, caught between the increase in needs of the population and extremely reduced services. On the consequences for Emergency of the change of government in Kabul, Nannini states that “the Taliban have been quite open with serious organizations like ours. or allowed to continue doing our work and even the female staff had no problems coming to work, although some women may have had problems in the private sphere. The Taliban – he adds – desperately need the organizations and we cannot complain. Of course there are crazy splinters within the movement that on some occasions can stop ambulances, but even before this there were episodes of this kind. They are always armed people who rule the country “. Nannini then raises the alarm on the consequences of the drop in temperatures on the Afghan population that in the immediate future, with the prices of grain and fuel increased by about 40% and the food that represents more than 80% of the average household expenditure needs basic necessities such as “food, blankets and fuel”, but in the long term “investment policies are needed, in the hope that the peaceful situation will create the conditions for the country not to depend more from aid from the international community “. And with hospitals” collapsing “in most of the country,” many Afghans have to pay for treatment – he insists – we are unable to treat everyone “. Turkey and Iran, Nannini comments that “we have seen many of these images in recent years, but you never get used to them. For some, these are just statistics, unfortunately or fortunately we see these situations in our hospitals, with mainly women and children as protagonists – he concludes – It is important that these images circulate and denounce the war “.