Death in Turkey

And desperation in Afghanistan

In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria comes more bad news — more sad news — out of Afghanistan.

A stampede of several thousand Afghans was triggered by a rumor making the rounds in Kabul that planes were taking volunteers to Turkey to help with earthquake relief. So desperate to leave the poverty-stricken country are Afghans that the false rumor triggered “swarms of men” in street clothes with no baggage into a spontaneous run on the Kabul airport, where they were met by security forces shooting into the air.

For the record, there were never any planes coming to whisk away rescue volunteers. But desperation fuels not only hope but folly. The run on the airport apparently was triggered by the Taliban’s out-of-character announcement that it would donate $165,000 in aid to rescue efforts and send emergency response and health teams to participate in rescue operations if needed. The aid is a symbol of solidarity with “Muslim brethren,” Taliban officials said.

Such a show of diplomacy is not common for the religious zealots of the regime. Under its iron-fisted rule, Afghanistan is essentially broke and exists as a pariah in the eyes of all but fellow Muslim extremists. If the Taliban has anything like “emergency response and health teams” available to it, they are needed at home.

The stampede on the airport was reminiscent of the hasty U.S. retreat from Kabul when the Taliban took control of the government in 2021 and Afghans by the thousands rushed the airport hoping to get on one of the departing American planes.

Afghans remain desperate to leave, even for a scene of mass death, even if that departure means leaving family, possessions, everything behind. Motivated by a false word of mouth, they were willing to risk everything.

The Taliban regime wants to be viewed as legitimate. Its operations appear to have become more “professional” anyway, if still ruthless in the enforcement of Sharia law.

International aid groups estimate that half of the country’s 40 million people are suffering from hunger this winter with 6 million facing emergency-level hunger. Aid officials called it “food insecurity,” which is just awful euphemism for pain and starvation. Many Afghans have no jobs, no means to support themselves, and are forced to beg, borrow and steal. The latter of which might come with an execution.

And yet the Taliban offers money it certainly doesn’t have and rescue aid it likely couldn’t hope to provide for Turkey and Syria.

Once again, tragedy spawns tragedy in the Middle East.