Risk of starvation

While the focus is now on those trying to flee, the risk of starvation, disease and persecution is rising for the rest of the population, aid agencies say.

“There’s a perfect storm coming because of several years of drought, conflict, economic deterioration, compounded by Covid-19,” David Beasley, executive director of the UN World Food Programme, said in Doha, calling for the international community to donate $200 million in food aid.

“The number of people marching towards starvation has spiked to now 14 million.”

The UN human rights chief said she had credible reports of serious violations by the Taliban, including “summary executions” of civilians and Afghan security forces who had surrendered. The Taliban have said they will investigate reports of atrocities.

The Taliban’s 1996-2001 rule was marked by harsh sharia law, with many political rights and basic freedoms curtailed and women severely oppressed. Afghanistan was also a hub for anti-Western militants, and Washington, London and others fear it might become so again.

The Taliban said all foreign evacuations must be completed by August 31, and asked the United States to stop urging talented Afghans to leave, while also trying to persuade people at the airport to go home, saying they had nothing to fear.

“Foreign troops should withdraw by the deadline. It will pave the way for resumption of civilian flights,” Taliban spokesman

Suhail Shaheen said on Twitter. “People with legal documents can travel through commercial flights after August 31.”

CIA director William Burns flew to Kabul for a secret meeting with top Taliban leader Abdul Ghani Baradar, US media reported Tuesday, the highestlevel meeting so far between the US government and the new rulers of Afghanistan. The New York Times said he was there for general talks on “evacuation operations and terrorist threats”.